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Unit 4: Wave Models and Quantum Physics
Quick questions on Nuclear stability and binding energy: WACE Year 12 Physics Unit 4
3short 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
Total binding energy grows with nucleus size, so to compare stability fairly we use the binding energy per nucleon,
What is the binding-energy curve?Show answer
Plotting binding energy per nucleon against mass number gives a curve that rises steeply for light nuclei, peaks around iron and nickel (mass number near ), then declines slowly for heavy nuclei. Iron-region nuclei are the most stable. Any reaction that moves nuclei toward this peak releases energy, because the products are more tightly bound than the reactants.
What is comparing nuclei?Show answer
To judge which of two nuclei is more stable, compare binding energy per nucleon, not total binding energy. A large nucleus can have a big total binding energy yet a lower per-nucleon value, making it less stable than a small, tightly bound nucleus.
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