§-Quick questions
NSWPhysicsModule 8: From the Universe to the Atom
Quick questions on Nuclear fission, fusion and binding energy: HSC Physics Module 8
2short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is binding energy per nucleon?Show answer
The bound state of a nucleus is more meaningful when normalised by the number of nucleons:
What is rule for releasing energy?Show answer
A nuclear process releases energy if the products have higher binding energy per nucleon than the reactants. Geometrically, this means the reaction moves the nucleons "uphill" on the binding-energy-per-nucleon curve, toward the iron peak.
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