Atomic Mass of Gold (Au)
The relative atomic mass of Gold is 196.97 u — the weighted average of its naturally occurring isotopes, on the carbon-12 scale.
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Gold by the numbers
Z = 79 fixes the protons; the neutron count can vary between isotopes, which is why the atomic mass is an average (196.97 u) rather than a round number.
| Quantity | Value |
|---|---|
| Atomic number (Z) | 79 |
| Relative atomic mass | 196.97 u |
| Protons | 79 |
| Neutrons (commonest isotope) | 118 |
| Electrons | 79 |
Atomic mass vs mass number
Mass number (A) counts particles — protons + neutrons in one specific atom, always a whole number. Relative atomic mass is the experimentally measured average over all natural isotopes, so it comes out fractional (196.97). Exams love this one-mark distinction.
Students also ask
Is the atomic mass of Gold a whole number?
No. 196.97 u is the average of Gold's natural isotopes, which is why it lands between whole numbers. The mass number of a single isotope, though, is always whole.
How many neutrons does Gold have?
Neutrons = mass number − atomic number. For Gold's commonest isotope that is about 197 − 79 = 118, though the exact count differs between isotopes.