Atomic mass unit
| Values of 1 u |
Units |
| 1.660 538 782(83) × 10−24 |
g |
| 1.660 538 782(83) × 10−27 |
kg |
| 931.494 028(23) × 106 |
eV/c2 |
| For details, see below. |
The [unified] atomic mass unit (symbol: u), also called the dalton (symbol: Da), is a unit used for recording mass on an atomic or molecular scale. It is defined as one twelfth of the rest mass of an unbound atom of carbon-12 in its nuclear and electronic ground state,[1] and has a value of 1.660 538 782(83) × 10−27 kg.[2] The CIPM have categorised it as a "Non-SI unit whose values in SI units must be obtained experimentally".[1]
Relationship to SI
The definition of the mole, an SI base unit, was accepted by the CGPM in 1971 as:
- 1. The mole is the amount of substance of a system which contains as many elementary entities as there are atoms in 0.012 kilogram of carbon 12; its symbol is "mol".
- 2. When the mole is used, the elementary entities must be specified and may be atoms, molecules, ions, electrons, other particles, or specified groups of such particles.
The definition of the mole also determines the value of the universal constant that relates the number of entities to amount of substance for any sample. This constant is called the Avogadro constant, symbol NA or L. ".[3]
Given that the unified atomic mass unit is one twelfth the mass of one atom of carbon 12, it follows that there are NA atoms of carbon 12 in 0.012 kg of carbon 12. This can be expressed mathematically as
- NAu = 0.012 kg
History
The atomic weight scale has traditionally been a relative scale, that is without an explicit unit, with the first atomic weight basis suggested by Dalton in 1803 as 1H.[4] Despite the initial mass of 1H being used as the natural unit for atomic weight, it was suggested by Ostwald that atomic weights would be best expressed in terms in units of 1/16 weight of oxygen. This evaluation was made prior to the discovery of the existence of elemental isotopes, which occurred in 1912.[4]
The discovery of isotopic oxygen in 1929 lead to a divergence in atomic weight representation, with isotopically weighted and pure 16O bases both used as the basis for the atomic mass unit. The inevitable divergence could result in errors in computations, and was thus unwieldy. The reference was changed to carbon-12 in 1961,[5] such that 1 u= mu = 1/12 ma 12C, and hence the current unit is often referred to as the "unified" atomic mass unit.[6]. The choice of carbon-12 was used to minimise further divergence with prior literature.[4]
Terminology
The unified atomic mass unit and the dalton are different names for the same unit of measure. Since the dalton was first introduced, there has been a gradual change towards using it in preference to the unified atomic mass unit.
- In 1993, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry approved the use of the dalton with the qualification that the GCPM had not given its approval.[7]
- In 2003 the Consultative Committee for Units, part of the CIPM, recommended a preference for the usage of the "dalton" over the "atomic mass unit" as it "is shorter and works better with prefixes".[8]
- In 2005, the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics endorsed the use of the dalton as an alternative to the unified atomic mass unit.[9]
- In 2006, in the 8th edition of the formal definition of SI, the CIPM cataloged the dalton alongside the atomic mass unit as a "Non-SI units whose values in SI units must be obtained experimentally: Units accepted for use with the SI".[1]. The definition also noted that "The dalton is often combined with SI prefixes ..."
- In 2009, when the International Organization for Standardization published updated versions of ISO 80000, it gave mixed messages as to whether or not the unified atomic mass unit had been decrecated: ISO ISO 80000-1:2009 (General), identified the dalton as having "earlier [been] called the unified atomic mass unit u" [10], but ISO 80000-10:2009 (atomic and nuclear physics) catalogued both as being alternatives for each other.[11]
- The 2010 version of the Oxford University Press style guide for authors in life sciences gave the following guidance "Use the Systéme international d'unités (SI) wherever possible ... The Dalton (Da) or more conveniently the kDa is a permitted non-SI unit for molecular mass or mass of a particular band in a separating gel."[12]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 International Bureau of Weights and Measures (2006), The International System of Units (SI) (8th ed.), p. 126, ISBN 92-822-2213-6, http://www.bipm.org/utils/common/pdf/si_brochure_8_en.pdf
- ↑ Mohr, Peter J.; Taylor, Barry N.; Newell, David B. (2008). "CODATA Recommended Values of the Fundamental Physical Constants: 2006". Rev. Mod. Phys. 80: 633–730. doi:10.1103/RevModPhys.80.633. http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Constants/codata.pdf. Direct link to value..
- ↑ International Bureau of Weights and Measures (2006), The International System of Units (SI) (8th ed.), pp. 114,115, ISBN 92-822-2213-6, http://www.bipm.org/utils/common/pdf/si_brochure_8_en.pdf
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Petley, B. W., "The atomic mass unit", IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas. 38 (2): 175–79, doi:10.1109/19.192268 .
- ↑ Holden, Norman E. (2004), "Atomic Weights and the International Committee—A Historical Review", Chem. Int. 26 (1): 4–7, http://www.iupac.org/publications/ci/2004/2601/1_holden.html .
- ↑ IUPAC Gold Book internet edition: "unified atomic mass unit".
- ↑ Mills, Ian; Cvitaš, Tomislav; Homann, Klaus; Kallay, Nikola; Kuchitsu, Kozo (1993). Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; Physical Chemistry Division (2nd ed.). International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry and published for them by Blackwell Science Ltd. ISBN 0-632-03583-8. http://www.iupac.org/publications/books/gbook/green_book_2ed.pdf.
- ↑ "Consultative Committee for Units (CCU); Report of the 15th meeting (17 –18 April 2003) to the International Committee for Weights and Measures". http://www.bipm.org/utils/common/pdf/CCU15.pdf. Retrieved 14th Aug 2010.
- ↑ "IU14. IUPAC Interdivisional Committee on Nomenclature and Symbols (ICTNS)". http://www.iupap.org/commissions/interunion/iu14/ga-05.html. Retrieved 2010-08-14.
- ↑ International Standard ISO 80000-1:2009 – Quantities and Units – Part 1: General, International Organization for Standardization, 2009 .
- ↑ International Standard ISO 80000-10:2009 – Quantities and units – Part 10: Atomic and nuclear physics, International Organization for Standardization, 2009 .
- ↑ "Instructions to Authors". AoB Plants. Oxford journals; Oxford University Press. http://www.oxfordjournals.org/our_journals/aobpla/for_authors/. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
External links