Binding Energy Per Nucleon Curve
On the curve of binding energy per nucleon plotted against mass number, one element sits at the peak and represents the most stable nuclear configuration. Which of the following nuclei lies closest to that maximum?
Select the correct option:
🔒 Solution Hidden from View
Submit your answer to unlock the detailed step-by-step solution.
More atoms and nuclei Practice Questions
A neutron-rich nucleus undergoes beta-minus decay inside a detector, and a student is asked what par...
A neutron-rich nucleus undergoes beta-minus decay inside a detector, and a student is asked what par...
Following an alpha or beta emission, a daughter nucleus is often left in an excited state and subseq...
Following an alpha or beta emission, a daughter nucleus is often left in an excited state and subseq...
In a nuclear reactor, a uranium-235 nucleus captures a slow neutron and splits into lighter fragment...
In a nuclear reactor, a uranium-235 nucleus captures a slow neutron and splits into lighter fragment...
The Sun generates its enormous power by fusing hydrogen nuclei into helium at its core, and a studen...
The Sun generates its enormous power by fusing hydrogen nuclei into helium at its core, and a studen...
A researcher considers a singly ionised helium ion with atomic number two behaving like a hydrogen-l...
A researcher considers a singly ionised helium ion with atomic number two behaving like a hydrogen-l...
A wooden artefact recovered from an excavation shows a carbon-14 activity that is one-fourth of the ...
A wooden artefact recovered from an excavation shows a carbon-14 activity that is one-fourth of the ...
Given that the mass defect of a helium-4 nucleus is about 0.0304 u, an examiner asks candidates to f...
Given that the mass defect of a helium-4 nucleus is about 0.0304 u, an examiner asks candidates to f...
Looking at the binding-energy-per-nucleon curve, a student notices it peaks near a certain mass numb...
Looking at the binding-energy-per-nucleon curve, a student notices it peaks near a certain mass numb...
A radioactive sample initially contains 8 billion nuclei of an unstable isotope, and after three suc...
A radioactive sample initially contains 8 billion nuclei of an unstable isotope, and after three suc...
A radioactive isotope used in medical imaging has a half-life of 6 hours, and a technician needs its...
A radioactive isotope used in medical imaging has a half-life of 6 hours, and a technician needs its...
A freshly prepared source contains a large number of identical unstable nuclei, and a researcher obs...
A freshly prepared source contains a large number of identical unstable nuclei, and a researcher obs...
When a heavy parent nucleus undergoes alpha decay, it emits a helium nucleus, and a student must sta...
When a heavy parent nucleus undergoes alpha decay, it emits a helium nucleus, and a student must sta...
About This Question
- Subject
- physics
- Chapter
- atoms and nuclei
- Topic
- binding energy per nucleon curve
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Year
- 2025
Solution
Correct Answer:
Iron-56
The binding energy per nucleon measures how tightly each nucleon is bound, and the higher this value, the more stable the nucleus. When plotted against mass number, the curve rises steeply for light nuclei, reaches a broad maximum of about 8.8 MeV per nucleon near mass number 56, and then declines gently for heavier nuclei. Iron-56 sits essentially at this peak, making it among the most stable of all nuclei. Hydrogen-2 (deuterium) has a very low binding energy per nucleon of only about 1.1 MeV, placing it far down the rising part of the curve. Uranium-238 lies well past the peak on the descending side at roughly 7.6 MeV per nucleon, which is why it can release energy by fission. Helium-4, though locally stable, peaks near 7 MeV per nucleon, still below iron. This is the classic NCERT binding-energy curve. A plausibility check confirms that elements near iron neither readily fuse nor fission to release energy, consistent with occupying the curve's maximum.
This easy difficulty physics question is from the chapter atoms and nuclei, covering the topic of binding energy per nucleon curve. It appeared in the 2025 exam.
Looking for more practice? Explore all physics questions or browse atoms and nuclei questions on RankGuru.