Mass Defect
Mass defect arises because total mass of nucleus is:
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About This Question
- Subject
- physics
- Chapter
- atoms and nuclei
- Topic
- mass defect
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Year
- 2025
Solution
Correct Answer:
Less than sum of nucleon masses
The mass defect (Δm) is the difference between the total mass of the individual nucleons (protons and neutrons) and the actual mass of the stable nucleus. The mass of the nucleus is always slightly less than the sum of the masses of its constituents because some mass is converted into binding energy (E=Δmc2) during the formation of the nucleus. This energy is released and accounts for the 'lost' mass.
This medium difficulty physics question is from the chapter atoms and nuclei, covering the topic of mass defect. It appeared in the 2025 exam.
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