Question

Using atomic mass data, compute the average binding energy per nucleon of the fol- lowing nuclei:

(a) ²H
(b) ⁴He
(c) ¹²c
(d) ⁵¹ V
(e) ¹³⁸ Ba
(f) ²³⁵ U

Answer 1

To calculate the binding energy per nucleon for various nuclei including 4He, the total binding energy is found using the mass defect and the speed of light squared, then divided by the atomic mass number.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question pertains to the calculation of the average binding energy per nucleon (BE/A) for various nuclei using atomic mass data.

To calculate BE/A, we use the following strategy: the total binding energy (BE) is obtained using the equation BE = (Am)c², where Am is the mass defect of the nucleus. Once BE is found, we divide this value by the atomic mass number (A) to find the average binding energy per nucleon.

For example, to calculate the BE/A for 4He, we first find the atomic masses of a proton (mp) and a neutron (mn) and use them along with the atomic mass of 4He to determine the mass defect (Am). Then we calculate the binding energy (BE) by multiplying the mass defect by c² (the speed of light squared). Finally, we divide BE by the number of nucleons (A = 4 for 4He) to get BE/A.