Mass Defect
Mass defect corresponds to?
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About This Question
- Subject
- physics
- Chapter
- atoms and nuclei
- Topic
- mass defect
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Year
- 2025
Solution
Correct Answer:
Difference between sum of nucleon masses and nuclear mass
- Concept: The actual mass of a nucleus is always less than the sum of the individual masses of the protons and neutrons that compose it.
- Mass Defect (Δm): This difference is defined as the mass defect.
- Δm=[Zmp+(A−Z)mn]−Mnucleus
- Energy Relation: This missing mass is converted into energy (Binding Energy) during the formation of the nucleus, as per Einstein's equation E=(Δm)c2.
- Conclusion: It is the difference between the calculated sum of nucleon masses and the measured nuclear 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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