The average mass of a fluorine atom is approximately 0.000000000000000000000000000018998 grams, or 1.8998 × 10-23 grams.
This value is derived from its atomic weight, which is noted as 18.998 amu (atomic mass units). The conversion from amu to grams is essential for understanding atomic mass in the context of everyday measurements. Since 1 amu is defined as 1.66053906660 × 10-24 grams, you multiply the atomic weight by this conversion factor:
18.998 amu × 1.66053906660 × 10-24 g/amu ≈ 1.8998 × 10-23 g.
This tiny mass reflects the incredibly small scale of atoms, emphasizing how we need to use scientific notation to express these values accurately.