Binding energy per nucleon and its variation with mass number

The binding energy of a nucleus is the energy required to bring a nucleus from its most stable configuration to a less stable configuration. The binding energy per nucleon is a measure of the size of the nucleus and is the energy required to bring one nucleus close to another. This binding energy is also equal to the sum of the kinetic energy of the nucleons, which is the energy required to remove the nucleons from their initial positions. The binding energy per nucleon is inversely proportional to the size of the nucleus.

Binding energy per nucleon 

The binding energy per nucleon is another important quantity in nuclear physics. It is a measure of the amount of energy that is required to break apart a nucleus, or we can say the binding energy of a nucleus is the energy required to bring a nucleus from its most stable configuration to a less stable configuration. The binding energy per nucleon is a measure of the size of the nucleus and is the energy required to bring one nucleus close to another.

Types of binding energy

Binding energy is of various types and each operating over a different distance and a different energy scale. These areas followers

Electron Binding Energy: It is also commonly known as ionisation energy. The binding energy per electron is the binding energy required to remove an electron from a neutral atom or molecule. The electron binding energy is usually much smaller than the binding energy per nucleon in the nucleus of an atom or molecule. This is because the electrons in an atom or molecule are much lighter than the protons and neutrons. 

Atomic binding energy: The binding energy of an atom is the amount of energy that must be applied to break down the atom into its constituent free nucleus and electrons.

Nuclear binding energy: The energy which is required to dismantle a nucleus into free unbound neutrons and vibrational protons is essentially the nuclear binding energy. The energy is equivalent to the mass defect, the difference between its measured mass and the amount of mass in a nucleus. Nuclear binding energy is usually found when the mass defect is measured, usually by changing the mass into energy by applying the formula (E=mc²). Nuclear binding energy can be used when the nucleus splits into various fragments that consist of more than one nucleon. These fragments have positive or negative binding energy based on the position of the parent nucleus on the nuclear binding energy curve. The nuclear binding energy curve represents the total energy of a nucleus as a function of the number of nucleons. When a heavy nucleus splits or fuses with another light nucleus, one of these processes results in the release of binding energy.

Variation of binding energy with mass number

The binding energy of an atom is a measure of the energy required to remove an electron from the atom’s valence shell. The binding energy of an atom is directly related to the mass of the atom. The higher the mass number of an atom, the higher the binding energy. For example, a nitrogen-14 atom has a significantly higher binding energy than a nitrogen-15 atom, even though both atoms have the same mass.

Bond Energy or bond dissociation energy

Bond energy is the chemical potential of the electrons in an atom. The chemical potential of an electron is specified by the chemical element it belongs to, and is equal to the amount of energy needed to remove that many electrons from the atom. The chemical potential of the electrons in an atom is collectively referred to as the bond energy of the atom. The bond energy of an atom is a major factor in determining the properties of the atom, and also plays a major role in determining the chemical species that the atom forms. The energy which is stored in bonds is a result of the electromagnetic force and the weak nuclear force. The strength of bonds also depends on the degree of electronegativity of the atoms involved. For example, the strongest bonds are formed when two electronegative atoms, such that electrons are shared, such as in the covalent bond.

Mass defect

The nuclear binding energy confines a remarkable distinction between the actual mass of the nucleus and the expected mass of the object depending upon the summation of the masses of all the isolated components within it.

Both energy and mass are related to each other based on the following equation:

E = mc2 

E= energy

m= mass

c= speed of light

Conclusion

The binding energy of a nucleus is the energy required to bring a nucleus from its most stable configuration to a less stable configuration. The binding energy per nucleon is inversely proportional to the size of the nucleus. Binding energy is of various types and each operating over a different distance and a different energy scale. Electron Binding Energy, atomic binding energy, and nuclear binding energy. The chemical potential of the electrons in an atom is collectively referred to as the bond energy of the atom. The bond energy of an atom is a major factor in determining the properties of the atom, and also plays a major role in determining the chemical species that the atom forms.