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| Binding Energy |
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| Average binding energy per nucleon is the total binding energy divided by the mass number of the nucleus. |
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| (i) The average binding energy/nucleon for light nuclei like 1H1, 1H2, 1H3 is small. |
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| (ii) For mass numbers ranging from two to twenty, the sharply defined peaks correspond to nuclei, which are relatively more stable than the neighborhood nuclei. |
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| (iii) The binding energy curve has a broad maximum in the range |
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| A = 30 to 120 and corresponds to 8.5 MeV. |
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| (iv) As mass number increases, the binding energy/nucleon decreases gradually. This is due to Colombian repulsion between the protons and therefore heavy nuclei are relatively less stable. |
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| (i) The decrease in the binding energy/nucleon at high mass numbers tells us that nucleons are more lightly bound when they are assembled into two middle mass nuclei than in a single high mass nucleus. Therefore, energy can be released in nuclear fission of a single massive nucleus into smaller fragments. |
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| (ii) Smaller values of binding energy/nucleon for nuclei of low mass numbers indicates that energy can be released if two nuclei of small mass numbers combine to form a single middle mass nucleus. This process is the reverse of nuclear fission and is called nuclear fusion. |
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