Mass Defect and Nuclear Binding Energy
 

Mass Defect and Nuclear Binding Energy problem 17


  • State what is meant by the mass defect of a nucleus.


  • Some masses are shown in the table below.




    Show that:


    • the energy equivalence of is .


    • the binding energy per nucleon of a helium-4 nucleus is .


  • Isotopes of hydrogen have binding energies per nucleon of less than . Suggest why a nucleus of helium-4 does not spontaneously break down to become nuclei of hydrogen.


 

main author and content editor: Ebenezer Famadewa