Nucleus: Practice Problem & Solution
If $ M(A, Z) $, $ M_p $ and $ M_n $ denote the masses of the nucleus $ ^A_Z X $, proton and neutron respectively in units of u (1 u = 931.5 $ MeV/c^2 $) and BE represents its binding energy in MeV, then: (2008)
Solution Explained:
To solve this problem, we apply the core principles of Nucleus. Understanding the underlying formula is key to arriving at the correct answer below:
The binding energy is given by $ B.E. = \Delta m c^2 = [Z M_p + (A-Z) M_n - M(A, Z)] c^2 $. Rearranging this gives the nuclear mass $ M(A,Z) = Z M_p + (A-Z) M_n - B.E./c^2 $.
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