Question

The mass of a lithium−7 atom is 7.016003 amu. What is the nuclear binding energy of a lithium−7 nucleus in units of kJ/mol and eV/nucleus? Enter your answers in scientific notation.

Answer 1

The nuclear binding energy can be calculated through conversion of mass to energy through the formula,
E = mc²
For the first unit,
E = (7.016 g/mol)(1 kg/1000g)(3 x 10^8 m/s)²
= 6.3144 x10^14 J/mol ≈ 6.3144 x 10^11 kJ/mol
For eV,
(6.3144 x10^11 kJ/mol)(1 eV/ 96.4869 kJ/mol) = 6.09 x 10^13 eV