The mass of a nucleus is exactly equal to the sum of the masses of its individual
A) separated neutrons.
B) separated nucleons.
C) separated protons.
D) all of these
E) none of these

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The mass of a nucleus is actually less than the sum of the masses of its individual nucleons (protons and neutrons) when they are separated. This difference is due to the binding energy that holds the nucleus together, according to the mass-energy equivalence principle (E=mc^2).

The Mass of a Nucleus Is Exactly Equal to the Sum