Compared to the sum of the masses of all the individual nucleons in their separate states that make up a nucleus,the mass of the composite nucleus is
A)more.
B)less.
C)the same.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The mass of the composite nucleus is less than the sum of the masses of all the individual nucleons in their separate states. This is due to the release of energy that happens when the nucleons come together to form a nucleus. This release of energy is known as the binding energy of the nucleus, and it is caused by the attractive strong nuclear force between the nucleons. This means that the mass of an atomic nucleus is actually slightly less than the sum of the masses of its constituent protons and neutrons.

Compared to the Sum of the Masses of All the Individual