Question:
Which one is larger: an atomic mass unit based on the current standard or one based on the mass of a Be-9 atom?
My attempt:
Current standard is $1/12$th the mass of a C-12 atom. New standard is $1/9$th the mass of a Be-9 atom.
Now I understand that the only the basic unit of measurement of masses is changing. The absolute masses of the different atoms in the universe remains the same. That means the absolute mass of an He-atom in the old system and in the new system must be the same.
Now, absolute mass (of an atom in any system) = no. of "amu"s of that atom * mass of 1 amu (in that system)
We are supposed to determine the relation between the mass of 1 amu in the old and in the new system. Obviously, the one having more "amu"s would have a smaller mass of 1 amu.
And now I am stuck. I can't proceed further than this much explanation. I've looked on Wikipedia and some other questions but can't find similarities. Hints are appreciated!
UPDATE: although not explicitly mentioned, the book does NOT expect readers to look up data tables to find the answer. It expects a possible reason as to why is the Be-9/C-12 scale larger.