Final answer:
The binding energy per nucleon of the helium nucleus (^4He) is calculated by dividing the total binding energy by the number of nucleons. For helium, this value is approximately 0.007594 MeV.
Step-by-step explanation:
The binding energy per nucleon of the helium nucleus (^4He) can be calculated using the equation BE/A, where BE is the total binding energy and A is the number of nucleons. The total binding energy for helium is given by BE = {[2mp +2mn] (4He)} c², where mp is the mass of a proton and mn is the mass of a neutron.
Using the given atomic masses, mp = 1.007825 u and mn = 1.008665 u, the total binding energy is BE = (0.030378 u) c².
To express the binding energy per nucleon in millions of electron volts (MeV), we divide the total binding energy by the number of nucleons A. For helium, A = 4, so the binding energy per nucleon is (0.030378 u) c² / 4 = 0.007594 MeV.