Question

A nucleus with mass number $240$ breaks into two a fragments each of mass number $120$, the binding energy per nucleon of unfragmented nuclei is $7.6\, MeV$ while that of fragments is $8.5\, MeV$. The total gain in the Binding Energy in the process is :

• A. 0.9 MeV
• B. 9.4 MeV
• C. 804 MeV
• D. 216 MeV

Answer 1

Answer: (D)

216 MeV

Answer 2

Final total binding energy
$=2 \times 8.5 \times 120 \,MeV =2040\, MeV$
Initial total binding energy
$=240 \times 7.6\, MeV =1824\, MeV$
Gain $=(2040-1824) \,MeV =216\, MeV$