Question

Define mass defect and binding energy.

Hint:

Mass defect leads to the release of binding energy according to Einstein's equation.

Answer 1

Mass defect: The difference between the sum of the masses of individual nucleons and the actual mass of the nucleus. \[ \Delta m = (Z m_p + N m_n) - M_{\text{nucleus}} \] Binding energy: The energy required to separate the nucleus into its individual nucleons. \[ E_b = \Delta m \cdot c^2 \] \[ \boxed{E_b = \Delta m \cdot c^2} \]