Question

Using a suitable reference such as the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics or http://www.webelements.com, look up the following information for nickel: (a) the number of known isotopes, (b) the atomic masses (in amu) and the natural abundance of the five most abundant isotopes.

Short answer

(a) Nickel has 31 known isotopes. (b) The five most abundant isotopes are: Ni-58 with an atomic mass of 57.9353 amu and 68.0769% natural abundance, Ni-60 with an atomic mass of 59.9308 amu and 26.2231% natural abundance, Ni-61 with an atomic mass of 60.9311 amu and 1.1399% natural abundance, Ni-62 with an atomic mass of 61.92834 amu and 3.6345% natural abundance, and Ni-64 with an atomic mass of 63.92797 amu and 0.9256% natural abundance.

Step-by-step solution

Access the reference source

Go to the website http://www.webelements.com and search for the element nickel or directly visit the nickel page using this link: https://webelements.com/nickel

Find the number of known isotopes

On the nickel page, scroll down to the "Isotope data" section. The website indicates that there are 31 known isotopes of nickel. So, the answer for part (a) is: (a) 31 known isotopes

Find the atomic masses and natural abundance of the five most abundant isotopes

In the same "Isotope data" section, you can find a table listing the isotopes, their atomic masses in atomic mass units (amu), and their natural abundance (percent). The five most abundant isotopes, their atomic masses, and their natural abundances are as follows: 1. Nickel-58 (Ni-58): Atomic mass: 57.9353 amu Natural abundance: 68.0769% 2. Nickel-60 (Ni-60): Atomic mass: 59.9308 amu Natural abundance: 26.2231% 3. Nickel-61 (Ni-61): Atomic mass: 60.9311 amu Natural abundance: 1.1399% 4. Nickel-62 (Ni-62): Atomic mass: 61.92834 amu Natural abundance: 3.6345% 5. Nickel-64 (Ni-64): Atomic mass: 63.92797 amu Natural abundance: 0.9256% So, the answer for part (b) is: (b) Ni-58: 57.9353 amu, 68.0769% natural abundance Ni-60: 59.9308 amu, 26.2231% natural abundance Ni-61: 60.9311 amu, 1.1399% natural abundance Ni-62: 61.92834 amu, 3.6345% natural abundance Ni-64: 63.92797 amu, 0.9256% natural abundance