The mass of an atom of carbon-12 (Z = 6)is less than the mass of 6 protons and 6 neutrons because of binding energy.

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The mass of an atom is less than the sum of the masses of its constituent protons and neutrons, which is known as the mass defect. This is due to the presence of binding energy, which is the energy required to bind the protons and neutrons together in the atomic nucleus. In the case of carbon-12, the mass defect represents the binding energy of the 6 protons and 6 neutrons, which accounts for the difference between the mass of an atom of carbon-12 and the combined mass of its individual parts.

The Mass of an Atom of Carbon-12 (Z = 6)is