What is the total binding energy of ¹²C? [¹²C atomic mass = 12.000 amu; mass of proton = 1.007825 amu; mass of neutron = 1.008665 amu; 1 kg = 6.022 x 10²⁶amu; 1 J = 1 (kg•m²)/s²]?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The total binding energy can be calculated by first determining the mass defect, which is the difference between the mass of the unbound nucleons and the actual mass of the nucleus. For carbon-12 (C-12), which has 6 protons and 6 neutrons, the mass of the unbound nucleons would be $6 \times 1.007825 \, \text{amu} + 6 \times 1.008665 \, \text{amu}$. The atomic mass of C-12 is given as 12.000 amu. Subtracting the atomic mass of C-12 from the total mass of the unbound nucleons gives the mass defect. This mass defect is then converted to energy using Einstein's equation $E=mc^2$, where $m$ is the mass defect in kilograms and $c$ is the speed of light in meters per second. The energy obtained is in joules. The correct calculation leads to an answer in the order of magnitude of $10^{-12}$ to $10^{-11}$ joules, which corresponds to the option that is closest to typical binding energy values for a nucleus of this size.

What Is the Total Binding Energy of 12C? [12C Atomic

What Is the Total Binding Energy of ¹²C? [¹²C Atomic