Nuclear fission mass defect

Nuclear Fission The splitting of heavier atom like that of U-235 into a number of fragments of much smaller mass, by suitable bombardment with sub-atomic particles with liberation of huge amount of energy (due to mass defect) is called nuclear fission. For example. 

The mass of a nucleus is less than the sum of the masses of its nucleons by an amount called the mass defect. The energy equivalent to the mass defect is the nuclear binding energy, usually expressed in units of MeV. The binding energy per nucleon is a measure of nuclide stability and varies with the number of nucleons in a nuclide. Nuclides with A == 60 are most stable. Lighter nuclei can join (fusion) or heavier nuclei can split (fission) to become more stable. 

Explain the mass defect and how it is related to nuclear binding energy understand how nuclear stability is related to binding energy per nucleon and why unstable nuclides undergo either fission... 

Section 21.6 The energy produced in nuclear reactions is accompanied by measurable tosses of mass in accordance wilh Einstein s relationship, AE = c Am. The difference in mass between nuclei and the nucleons of which Ihey are composed is known as Ihe mass defect. The mass defect of a nuclide makes it possible to calculate its nuclear binding energy, Ihe energy required to separate Ihe nucleus into individual nucleons. Energy is produced when heavy nuclei split (fission) and when light nuclei fuse (fusion). 

Nuclear fission reactions release a lot of energy. Where does the energy come from Well, if you make very accurate measurements of the masses of all the atoms and subatomic particles you start with and all the atoms and subatomic pcirticles you end up with, you find that some mass is missing. Matter disappectfs during the nuclear reaction. This loss of matter is called the mass defect. The missing matter is converted into energy. 

Mass defect, 864 Nuclear fission, 873 Radical, 883 Tracers, 881... 

Explain the important distinctions between each pair of terms (a) electron and positron (b) half-life and decay constant (c) mass defect and nuclear binding energy (d) nuclear fission and nuclear fusion (e) primary and secondary ionization. 

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