Basic Concepts of Nuclear Physics by Benjamin Thayer

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Basic Concepts of Nuclear Physicsby Benjamin
Thayer
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Contents

• Binding Energy
• Mass Energy Equivalence
• Binding Energy vs. Atomic mass
• Applications Fission and Fusion

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Binding Energy

• Binding energy is the energy that is lost when a
  nucleus is created from protons and neutrons.
• Binding energy speaks of an nucleus stability
• The greater the binding nrg, the more stabile.

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Binding Energy Cont.

• If you added up the mass of the proton and
  neutrons seperately and then added them up
  together collectively (i.e. the mass of the
  nucleus,) you would find their sum is not equal.
• This difference in mass, together with Einsteins
  mass energy relationship, defines the magnitude
  of the binding energy.
• Nuclear binding energy change (m c2)

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The Nuclear Binding Energy Curve

• One of the most important graphs in all
  physics!!!
• Definition tightly bound less mass per
  neucleon

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Applications Fission and Fusion
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Applications Cont.

• The yields of uranium fission and
  tritium-deuterium fusion