Nuclear Physics Binding Energy

Lecture - 2 & Stability of

Nucleus
Jayant Nagda
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there is a difference between expected mass
and actual mass of a nucleus

Example
Mass Defect
For nuclide = ZXA

Mexpected = Z mp + (A – Z)
mn

Mobserved = Matom – Zme

It is found that
Mobserved < Mexpected

Hence, mass defect is defined as

Mass defect = Mexpected – Mobserved
Mass Defect The difference between the total mass of the
nucleons and mass of the nucleus is called the
mass defect

Mass defect = Δm = Mexpected – Mobserved

Δm = [ (Zmp + (A-Z)mn) – (Matom – Zme) ] c2

Δm= [Zmp + (A-Z) mn – mX ] c2

mp = Mass of Proton, mn = Mass of Neutron,

me = Mass of each electron , M = Mass of nucleus,
Z = Atomic number, A = Mass number,
M’ = Mass of atom as a whole.
Mass Energy Equivalence Einstein suggested m ≡ E

{matter can be viewed as condensed form of energy}

E = mc2

c : speed of light

me = 511 kev/c2 = 0.5 MeV/c2

me= 9.1093897 x 10-31kg
mp = 938.27 MeV/c2
mp=1.6726231 x 10-27 kg
mn=1.6749286 x 10-27kg mn = 939.56 MeV/c2
Example MCQ type Question [ +4 , -1]

Mass of neutron is mn = 1.008665 amu and

mass of proton mp = 1.007825 amu.
The minimum energy required to produce the reaction
p + Energy —> n + e+, is approximately-

A. 0.2 MeV B. 0.5 MeV

C. 0.8 MeV D. 1.0 MeV

Binding Energy Mass defect arises due to the fact that
when nucleons combine to form a nucleus,
some energy (binding energy) is liberated.

B.E. = ΔE = Δmc2

The binding energy of a nucleus may be defined as

the energy equivalent to the mass defect of the nucleus.
Binding Energy

Amount of energy released during

the formation of nucleus by its
constituent particles and
bringing them from infinite separation.

It can also be defined as the

minimum energy required to
break the nucleus into
its constituent particles.
Example MCQ type Question [ +4 , -1]

When do two protons attract each other-

A. This will never happen

B. The distance between them is 10-10 m
C. The distance between them is 10-1 m
D. The distance between them is 10-15 m
Nuclear Stability
What makes a nucleus stable?

How can so many protons

which repel each other
stay inside a nucleus?
Nuclear Forces The neutrons and protons in a stable nucleus
are held together by Nuclear Forces

Energy is needed to pull them infinitely apart

The same energy is released during the formation
of the nucleus.
This energy is called the Binding Energy of the nucleus.
Example MCQ type Question [ +4 , -1]

Which of the following statements is not true ?

A. Nuclear force is the strongest force in nature

B. The net nuclear force on a nucleon well inside the
nucleus is zero

C. The nuclear force between two neutrons is the same

as that between two protons

D. For any separation, the nuclear force between two protons

is greater than the electrostatic force between them
Nuclear Stability
Among about 1500 known nuclides,
less than 260 are stable.

The unstable ones decay to form

other nuclides by emitting α, β - particles
γ - rays through process called Radioactivity.
Example MCQ type Question [ +4 , -1]

Which of the following is a wrong description of binding

energy of a nucleus ?
A. It is the energy required to break a nucleus into its
constituent nucleons
B. it is the energy made available when free nucleons
combine to form a nucleus
C. it is the sum of the rest mass energies of its nucleons
minus the rest mass energy of the nucleus.
D. it is the sum of the kinetic energy of all the nucleons
in the nucleus
Binding Energy The binding energy is equal to the work
that must be done to split the nucleus
into the particles constituting it.

When nucleons combine to form a nucleus,

some energy (binding energy) is liberated.
Binding Energy per Nucleon
Stability of a Nucleus does not depend
upon binding energy of a nucleus
but it depends upon binding energy per nucleon

B.E.
B.E. / Nucleon =
Mass number

B.E.
Stability 𝛍 ∝
A
Binding Energy per Nucleon
The average energy required to release a nucleon
from the nucleus is called binding energy per nucleon.

Total binding Energy

Binding energy per nucleon =
Mass number (i.e. total number of nucleons)

Binding energy per nucleon ∝ Stability of nucleus

Variation of Binding Energy per nucleon with Mass number
Example MCQ type Question [ +4 , -1]

As the mass number A increases, the binding energy per

nucleon in a nucleus–
A. increases
B. decreases

C. remains the same

D. varies in a way that depends on the actual value of A
Variation of Binding Energy per nucleon with Mass number
The binding energy per nucleon first increases on an average
and reaches a maximum of about 8.7 MeV for A:50 to 80.

For still heavier nuclei, the binding energy per nucleon

slowly decreases as A increases
Variation of Binding Energy per nucleon with Mass number
Binding energy per nucleon is maximum for 26Fe
56

which is equal to 8.8 MeV.

Binding energy per nucleon is more for medium nuclei than

for heavy nuclei. Hence, medium nuclei are highly stable.
Binding Energy per Nucleon

Heavy nuclei achieve stability

by breaking into two smaller nuclei

and this reaction is called fission reaction.

Binding Energy per Nucleon

Nuclei achieve stability by combining and

resulting into heavy nucleus and this
reaction is called Fusion Reaction.
Packing Fraction

Mass defect per nucleon is called packing fraction

Packing fraction

where M = Mass of nucleus, A = Mass number

Packing fraction measures the stability of a nucleus.

Smaller the value of packing fraction,
larger is the stability of the nucleus.
Daily Practice Problems
Example The range of nuclear forces is about-
A. 2 × 10–10m B. 1.5 × 10-20 m

C. 7.2 × 10–4 m D. 1.4 × 10-15 m

Ans: D
Example Two protons are kept at a separation of 10 nm. Let Fn and Fe
be the nuclear force and the electromagnetic force between
them

A. F = F B. Fe >> Fn
e n

C. Fe << Fn D. Fe and Fn differ only slightly

Ans: B
Example According to binding energy per nucleon versus mass
number curve, which is not correct –

A. Two light nuclei fuse to form medium sized nuclei

B. A heavy nucleus undergoes fission to form two

medium sized nuclei
C. Two medium sized nucleus fuse to form a heavy
nucleus
D. The peak of the curve corresponds the most stable
nucleus

Ans: C
Example Let Fpp , Fpn and Fnn denote the magnitude of the net force
by a proton on a proton, by a proton on a neutron and by a
neutron on a neutron respectively. Neglect gravitational
force. When the separation is 1 fm, -

A. Fpp > Fpn = Fnn B. Fpp = Fpn = Fnn

C. Fpp > Fpn > Fnn D. Fpp < Fpn = Fnn

Ans: D
Example
Which of the following statement(s) is (are) correct?
(IIT JEE 1994)

A. The rest mass of a stable nucleus is less than the sum

of the rest masses of its separated nucleons
A. The rest mass of a stable nucleus is greater than the sum of the
rest masses of its separated nucleons
B. In nuclear fission, energy is released by fusing two nuclei of
medium mass (approximately 100 amu)
C. In nuclear fission, energy is released by fragmentation of a very
heavy nucleus

Ans: A, D
Example Binding energy per nucleon of 1H2 and 2He4 are 1.1 MeV and
7.0 MeV respectively. Energy released in the process
1H + 1H = 2He is -
2 2 4

A. 20.8 MeV B. 16.6 MeV

C. 25.2 MeV D. 23.6 MeV

Ans: D
Example Consider the nuclear reaction X200 —> A110 + B80. If the
binding energy per nucleon for X, A and B are 7.4 MeV, 8.2
MeV and 8.1 MeV respectively, then the energy released in the
reaction -
A. 70 MeV B. 200 MeV

C. 190 MeV D. 10 MeV

Ans: A
Example Binding energy per nucleon vs mass number curve for nuclei
is shown in the Figure. W, X, Y and Z are four nuclei indicated
on the curve. The process that would release energy is
A. Y → 2Z B. W → X + Z (IIT JEE 1999)
C. W → 2Y D. X → Y + Z

Binding energy/ nucleon in MeV

Y
8.5 X
8.0
7.5 W

5.0 Z

0 30 60 90 120
Mass number of nuclei
Ans: C
 Example
Assume that the nuclear binding energy per nucleon (B/A)
versus mass number (A) is as shown in the figure. Use this
plot to choose the correct choice(s) given below.
B/A (IIT JEE 2008)
A. Fusion of two nuclei with mass numbers lying in the
range of 1 < A < 50 will release energy.
8 A. Fusion of two nuclei with mass numbers lying in the
6 range of 51 < A < 100 will release energy
4 A. Fission of a nucleus lying in the mass range of 100 < A
< 200 will release energy when broken into two equal fragments
2 A. Fission of a nucleus lying in the mass range of 200 < A
0 A < 260 will release energy when broken into two equal fragments
100 200

Ans: B, D
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