Expressing atomic masses as whole numbers or close to whole numbers makes calculations and comparisons simpler and more intuitive.
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Carbon was assigned an atomic mass of 1.0 u, and oxygen was assigned an atomic mass of 1.33 u.
Initially, scientists defined the atomic mass unit (u) as 1/16 of the mass of an atom of naturally occurring oxygen.
The modern unit of atomic mass, as per the latest IUPAC recommendations, is the unified mass, represented as ‘u’ (unified atomic mass unit).
The combining ratio between carbon and oxygen is expressed as 3 grams of carbon combining with 4 grams of oxygen to form carbon monoxide.