Final answer:
The binding energy in an atom of 3He is calculated using the equation BE = (Am)c², and the binding energy per nucleon (BEN) is obtained by dividing the total binding energy by the number of nucleons (A). For 3He with Z = N = 2, the binding energy per nucleon is approximately 493.9 MeV.
Step-by-step explanation:
The binding energy in an atom of 3He can be calculated using the equation BE = (Am)c², where Am is the mass defect. The binding energy per nucleon (BEN) is obtained by dividing the total binding energy by the number of nucleons (A).
For 3He, with Z = N = 2, and the atomic masses mp = 1.007825 u and mn = 1.008665 u, we have a mass defect of 0.030378 u. Substituting these values into the equation, we find the total binding energy as (0.030378 u)c².
The binding energy per nucleon for 3He can be calculated by dividing the total binding energy by the number of nucleons, so the binding energy per nucleon for 3He is 493.9 MeV.