Final answer:
To find the total binding energy for Germanium, 72Ge, calculate the mass defect by subtracting the actual atomic mass from the combined mass of the individual protons and neutrons. Then use the equation BE = (Am)c² to determine the binding energy and convert it to megaelectronvolts (MeV) using the given conversion factor.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the total binding energy for Germanium, 72Ge with an atomic mass of 71.922079 u, we first need to find the mass defect. The mass defect (Am) is the difference between the mass of the separated nucleons and the actual mass of the nucleus. Once we have the mass defect, we can use the equation BE = (Am)c² to find the binding energy, where c is the speed of light in a vacuum. To convert the binding energy from joules to megaelectronvolts (MeV), we use the conversion factor 1 MeV = 1.602 × 10-13 J.
For Germanium-72, the calculation would involve finding the mass of 72 protons and neutrons added together, subtracting the actual atomic mass of Germanium-72 to find the mass defect, and then using the equation above to find the binding energy in MeV.