Question

Calculating Mass Defect and Nuclear Binding Energy 

Learning Goal:

 To learn how to calculate the binding energy of a nucleus. 

 The measured masses of nuclei are consistently lower than predicted by the sum of their particles. This discrepancy is called the mass defect, and it can be used to calculate the nuclear binding energy according to Einstein's famous equation

ΔE = Δmc²

 where ΔE is the energy produced, Δm is the mass lost, and c 3.00 x 10⁸ m/s. Nuclear binding energy is the energy holding the nucleons together and is a measure of nuclear stability. 

The proton mass is 1.007276 amu the neutron mass is 1.008665 amu and the electron mass is 5.486x 10^-4 amu 

Part A 

What is the expected mass of a fluorine-19 nucleus, based on the total mass of its protons and neutrons? 

Part B 

The actual measured mass of a fluorine-19 atom is 18.998403 amu What is the mass defect, Am, for a fluorine-19 nucleus? 

 Part C

 What is the binding energy for a fluorine-19 nucleus?

 Part D

 What is the binding energy, ΔE, for a fluorine-19 nucleus in MeV/nucleon? Recall that 1 MeV = 1.60 x 10^-13 J.

Answer 1