Why is the total mass of all individual protons and neutrons in a nucleus greater than the mass of the nucleus which they constitute?
Correct answer: D. When protons and neutrons combine to form nucleus, some mass is destroyed resulting in energy release
- A. When protons and neutrons combine to form nucleus, mass decrease due to gain of energy
- B. Possible mass loss is due to faulty techniques to measure mass of nucleus
- C. This statement is not true in most of the cases
- D. When protons and neutrons combine to form nucleus, some mass is destroyed resulting in energy release
Explanation
When protons and neutrons combine to form nuclei, some mass is destroyed resulting in energy release. This energy is released in the form of small energy packets called photons, hence the mass decreases. This phenomenon is known as 'mass defect'. The equation to find the energy released is; E=mc2, where 'm' is the mass destroyed, 'c' is the speed of light, and 'E' is the energy evolved.
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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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