The atomic mass of deuterium is 2.014102 u…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
The atomic mass of deuterium is u. A hydrogen-1 atom has u and a neutron has u. Find the mass defect of the deuteron and its binding energy. A gamma-ray photon can split a deuteron if its energy equals the binding energy. Find the wavelength of such a photon, using and ignoring the recoil of the pieces.
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
The mass defect is , with atomic masses. The binding energy is , and the energy per nucleon is . A mass is equivalent to the energy .
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. The parts. .
Step 2. The mass defect. u.
Step 3. The binding energy. MeV.
Step 4. The photon. We want , so fm.
Answer: u, MeV and fm.
Check. The wavelength is m, in the gamma-ray range. It fits. The binding energy per nucleon is only MeV, so deuterium is a loosely held nucleus.
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