In Nuclear Physics the mass defect is referred to _.
Correct answer: C. The difference in masses of free nuclear constituents and bonded nucleus
- A. The difference in masses of free neutrons and protons.
- B. The difference in masses of free neutrons and bonded nucleus
- C. The difference in masses of free nuclear constituents and bonded nucleus
- D. Difference between atomic mass and atomic number
Explanation
The correct answer is Option C. The mass defect refers to the difference between the total mass of individual nucleons (protons and neutrons) when they are free and the mass of the nucleus they form when bound together. This difference arises because some mass is converted to energy and released when the nucleus is formed, according to Einstein's equation E=mc².Option A is incorrect because it only considers neutrons and protons individually, not the entire nuclear mass. Option B is incorrect as it only considers neutrons and not the entire set of nucleons. Option D is incorrect because it confuses the mass defect with the difference between atomic mass and atomic number, which relates to the number of protons and neutrons in an atom.
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Atomic nuclei contain protons and neutrons, with nuclear size, mass defect and binding energy describing their stability. The work covers alpha, beta and gamma decay, decay equations, half-life and decay rate, along with radiation safety and medical applications such as imaging, radiotherapy and tracers.
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