Question

What is the binding energy, in MeV, for a deuterium nucleus (2 1 H) when the masses of its components are given as follows: 3.521 MeV for a neutron, 1.93 MeV for a proton, and 2.224 MeV for an electron?

A) 1.591 MeV
B) 0.597 MeV
C) 0.828 MeV
D) 3.097 MeV

Answer 1

c. The binding energy for a deuterium nucleus can be calculated using the mass defect, resulting in a value of 2.224 MeV.

Step-by-step explanation:

The binding energy for the deuterium nucleus (2H) can be calculated using the mass defect, which is the difference in mass between the components of the nucleus and the actual mass of the nucleus. In this case, the mass defect of deuterium is 0.002388 amu.

Multiplying this by the conversion factor of 931 MeV/amu gives a nuclear binding energy of 2.224 MeV for the deuterium nucleus. Therefore, option C) 0.828 MeV is the correct answer.