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v_pino
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How does the binding energy per nucleon of a nucleus affect its stability?
It is not necessarily the BE per nucleon that determines stability, but rather the difference in masses between an nucleus and possible decay products.v_pino said:How does the binding energy per nucleon of a nucleus affect its stability?
The number of nucleons (summed over all particles) is conserved in a reaction. Reaction can only run against products with lower energies, this means against products with higher average binding energies.v_pino said:How does the binding energy per nucleon of a nucleus affect its stability?
Yes that's correct, but according to the semi-emperical mass formula (see e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_drop_model" )pam said:It is not necessarily the BE per nucleon that determines stability, but rather the difference in masses between an nucleus and possible decay products.
But the "hence" depends on the masses of possible decay nuclei.eys_physics said:and hence a more stable nucleus.
The binding energy per nucleon of a nucleus is a measure of the amount of energy required to break apart a nucleus into its individual nucleons. The higher the binding energy per nucleon, the more stable the nucleus is. This is because a higher binding energy means that the nucleons are tightly held together, making it more difficult for them to break apart.
The relationship between binding energy per nucleon and nuclear stability is inversely proportional. This means that as the binding energy per nucleon increases, the stability of the nucleus also increases. Alternatively, as the binding energy per nucleon decreases, the stability of the nucleus decreases.
The stability of a nucleus can change as it gains or loses nucleons. When a nucleus gains nucleons, the binding energy per nucleon increases, making the nucleus more stable. On the other hand, when a nucleus loses nucleons, the binding energy per nucleon decreases, making the nucleus less stable.
Yes, a nucleus with a low binding energy per nucleon can still be stable. This is because stability also depends on the overall arrangement of nucleons in the nucleus. A nucleus with a low binding energy per nucleon may still be stable if the nucleons are arranged in a way that minimizes the repulsive forces between them.
The binding energy per nucleon can vary between different elements and isotopes. Generally, heavier elements have a higher binding energy per nucleon, making them more stable. However, there can be variations in the binding energy per nucleon even between isotopes of the same element, as it depends on the number of nucleons and their arrangement within the nucleus.