Name: Beta Emission
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 8 min 33 s
Description: How do we measure the thickness of extremely thin sheets of paper or other material? Radioactivity plays a role! Learn how beta emissions are used in manufac...

Question

Draw binding energy curve and discuss its two main features.

Accepted Answer

The net binding energy associated with a given nucleus is equal to that of the difference between the nuclear attraction and the disruptive energy of the electric force The graph between the binding energy per nucleon and the atomic number $A$ have shown above. The main feature of this curve is

(i) the binding energy per nucleon, is practically constant, for ( $30 < A < 170$ ). The curve has a maximum of about $8.75 MeV for A = 56 (Fe)$ and has a value of $7.6 Mev for A - 238$ . BE/ nucleons are lower for both light nuclei and heavy nuclei.( $A < 30 and A > 170$ ) We can draw some conclusions from these two observations: The force is attractive and sufficiently strong to produce binding energy of a few MeV per nucleon. It implies that if a nucleus $A = 240$ breaks into two $A = 120$ nuclei, nucleons get more tightly bound. Hence energy would be released in the process. It has very important implications for energy production through fission.

(ii) It is observed that The binding energy of very light nuclei is very low. If two very light nuclei ( $A < 10$ ) join to form a heavier nucleus. The binding energy per nucleon of the fused heavier nuclei is more than the binding energy per nucleon of the lighter nuclei. This means that the final system is more tightly bound than the initial system. Again energy would be released in such a process of fusion.

Draw binding energy curve and discuss its two main features.

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