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Ch.20 - Nuclear Chemistry
Chapter 20, Problem 80a

Calculate the binding energy (in MeV/nucleon) for the following nuclei. (a)58Ni (atomic mass = 57.93535)

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Binding Energy

Binding energy is the energy required to disassemble a nucleus into its constituent protons and neutrons. It is a measure of the stability of a nucleus; higher binding energy indicates a more stable nucleus. This energy can be calculated using the mass defect, which is the difference between the mass of the individual nucleons and the mass of the nucleus itself.
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Mass Defect

The mass defect is the difference between the total mass of the separate nucleons and the actual mass of the nucleus. This discrepancy arises because some mass is converted into energy when nucleons bind together, according to Einstein's equation E=mc². The mass defect is crucial for calculating the binding energy of a nucleus.
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MeV/nucleon

MeV/nucleon is a unit of measurement that expresses binding energy per nucleon in mega-electronvolts. This unit allows for easy comparison of the stability of different nuclei, as it normalizes the binding energy to the number of nucleons. It is commonly used in nuclear physics to assess the energy efficiency of nuclear reactions.
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