Question about amu's?

Ok I recently learned that an amu is 1/12 the molecular mass of a C-12 atom...meaning the atomic mass of C-12 is 12.000000000000000...





Why does this HAVE to apply for only Carbon? Why isn't the mass of H-1 EXACTLY 1.000000000000 but instead some totally random number?





I always thought all electrons were the same size, all protons were the same size, and that all neutrons were the same size. But by this logic the official technical atomic masses of the elements should all be nice even whole numbers...but Carbon is the only one that is so. Why is this?

Question about amu's?
Try looking for the atomic number and how its averaged over a huge population. In other words you have discovered a little known phenomenon.....(actually a bunch of folks know it)they just don't like teaching average in school....


http://www.cofc.edu/~chem/organic/Slides...


here is a little graph to give you something to start with...from the E

flash cards