The radius of a nucleus is proportional to what power of the mass number?
A) 1/2
B) 1/3
C) 1/4
D) 2/5
E) 3/8

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The radius of a nucleus is proportional to the cube root of the mass number. This is because the nucleus is made up of nucleons (protons and neutrons), and as the number of nucleons increases, the radius of the nucleus increases. The volume of a sphere (which is proportional to the radius cubed) increases with the cube of the radius, so the radius is proportional to the cube root of the mass number.

The Radius of a Nucleus Is Proportional to What Power