Problems are listed in approximate order of difficulty. A single dot (•) indicates straigh...

Problems are listed in approximate order of difficulty. A single dot (•) indicates straightforward problems involving just one main concept and sometimes requiring no more than substitution of numbers in the appropriate formula. Two dots (••) identify problems that are slightly more challenging and usually involve more than one concept. Three dots (•••) indicate problems that are distinctly more challenging, either because they are intrinsically difficult or involve lengthy calculations. Needless to say, these distinctions are hard to draw and are only approximate.

•• The Coulomb energy of the charges in a nucleus is positive and hence reduces the binding energy B. If we approximate the nucleus as a uniform sphere of charge Q = Ze, then according to Eq. (16.50) of Problem 1, the Coulomb correction to B should be

Putting R = R0A1/3, show that this agrees with the form (16.26) of the Coulomb correction given in Section 16.7. Use your answer here to calculate aCoul in MeV, and compare with the empirical value aCoul = 0.711 MeV. (You should not expect precise agreement since the nucleus is certainly not a perfectly uniform sphere, but you should get the right order of magnitude.)

Problem 1