IB Physics SL E.3.2 Binding energy & mass defect
IB Physics SL E.3.2 Binding energy & mass defect
Practise binding energy and mass defect questions by calculating missing values, comparing nuclides, and linking lower nuclear mass to released energy.
How this is tested
- use BE = (Zm_p + Nm_n - m_nucleus)c^2 with correct proton and neutron numbers from nuclide notation
- compare nuclides using binding energy per nucleon data and decide which nucleus is more stable
- explain mass defect with E = Δmc^2, linking lower nucleus mass to energy released on formation