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It is the division of the nuclear binding energy over the mass number.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoIt is approx 10MeV
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In order for a heavy nucleus like lead to remain a unit it must have 1.5 times more neutrons than protons to overcome what electrostatic forces?
Lead can only stay together if it has enough nuclear binding energy to overcome the electrostatic repulsive forces of all the protons in the nucleus of its atom. Remember that protons are positive charges, and like charges repel. Only nuclear glue, that binding energy, holds the nucleus together. This binding energy is generated during the process wherein the atomic nucleus was created. The neutrons and protons that are going to be in a nucleus all suffer a slight reduction in their mass. This mass deficit is converted into the binding energy that holds a nucleus together. That's why it takes all those neutrons in the nucleus of an atom to keep the whole thing together.
Why do electrons not spiral into the nucleus?
No one knows. The fact that it doesn't has been the source of much of the uncertainty principal & quantum mechanics. One thing you should know is that the electron is NOT a tiny planet spinning around the nucleus. In fact the "stuff" of electrons is NOT the "stuff" of the nucleus (quarks) ... maybe they repel each other, maybe they just can't be in the same place.
How nuclear energy transformed to thermal energy?
A nuclear power plant first converts binding energy into thermal energy in order to transfer the energy to where it can be most readily utilized. From there, it flashes water to steam, which spins turbines, which turn generators, which make electricity.
What is the point of a neutron?
A neutron's "point" is to become a building block of an atom. The question may be "better" than it may first appear, because if a neutron is released from a nucleus during fission or radioactive decay, if it doesn't become absorbed by another nucleus, it will decay. It's half life is on the order of 886 seconds, or something a bit under 15 minutes. The neutron is an absolute necessity in atomic construction. No atomic nuclei with more than one proton can exist without a neutron or neutrons contributing to the mass deficit that creates the binding energy. (Protons don't like each other, remember? Right.) The neutron lives to be a part of an atomic nucleus. It doesn't last long when it's on its own.
Why heat cannot be converted into work and why work can be converted into heat?
A lower order energy cannot be completely coverted into a higher order energy. Heat energy is a lower order energy and work is higher order energy. Therefore it is not possible to convert heat into work without loosing some energy according to the second law of thermodynamics. But a higher order energy can be coverted completely into lower order energy and it will not violate the second law of thermodynamics.
In order for a heavy nucleus like lead to remain a unit it must have 1.5 times more neutrons than protons to overcome what electrostatic forces?
Lead can only stay together if it has enough nuclear binding energy to overcome the electrostatic repulsive forces of all the protons in the nucleus of its atom. Remember that protons are positive charges, and like charges repel. Only nuclear glue, that binding energy, holds the nucleus together. This binding energy is generated during the process wherein the atomic nucleus was created. The neutrons and protons that are going to be in a nucleus all suffer a slight reduction in their mass. This mass deficit is converted into the binding energy that holds a nucleus together. That's why it takes all those neutrons in the nucleus of an atom to keep the whole thing together.
Is it true that protons in the nucleus attach themselves to another atom?
No. Not under normal conditions. It is true that protons within the nucleus attract each other due to the residual binding energy left over from the binding energy that holds quarks together to form protons and neutrons, but that force does not extend beyond the nucleus before the electromagnetic force, a repulsive force, would override the residual binding energy. In order to bind protons from different nuclei together, more formally, different nuclei together, you need nuclear fusion, and that requires high temperature and high pressure, first to ionize the atom and strip away the electron shells, and second to bring the nuclei close enough together that the residual binding energy can overcome the electromagnetic force.
What is found in the energy levels around the nucleus?
electrons occupy sublevels in the order of increasing energy .
What is the primary role of the neutrons in the nucleus of an atom?
The primary role of the neutrons in the nucleus of an atom is to contribute to the binding energy or nuclear glue that holds the nucleus itself together. Recall that an atomic nucleus is made of protons and neutrons. Protons have a positive charge, and they don't like each other. In order to overcome the repulsive forces of the protons, neutrons are included in the structure to contribute to the so-called mass deficit. That phenomenon involves the nucleons (the protons and neutrons in a nucleus) losing a bit of mass that is converted into binging energy to hold the neucleus together.
How many electrons are in the energy levels that surround the nucleus?
The answer which I found turns out to be energy level
In order to fall closer to the nucleus an electron must do what?
The respective electron has to lose energy.
Why is energy released when electrons are repositioned closer to a nucleus?
The electron loses energy in order to go from an "excited" shell back to its "original" shell. This releases energy in the form of a photon - an xray.
Why do electrons not spiral into the nucleus?
No one knows. The fact that it doesn't has been the source of much of the uncertainty principal & quantum mechanics. One thing you should know is that the electron is NOT a tiny planet spinning around the nucleus. In fact the "stuff" of electrons is NOT the "stuff" of the nucleus (quarks) ... maybe they repel each other, maybe they just can't be in the same place.
How do you harness all that energy from one atom of uranium?
Uranium produces so much energy because the strong force is the most powerful force, on the subatomic scale, in the universe.This is a simplified explanation...The strong force holds quarks together to form protons and neutrons. At this distance, it is 100 times more powerful than the electromagnetic force which would tend to cause like charged particles to repel each other.Leftover from the strong force that forms protons and neutrons is the residual binding energy that holds protons and neutrons together within the atomic nucleus. The residual binding energy, also known as the nuclear force, is somewhat less than 100 times the electromagnetic force. However, at distances greater than a proton or neutron, it starts to weaken and be in competition with the electromagnetic force, causing instability in nuclei that are heavier than lead. This instability, however, is not really applicable to the question and its answer, other than to say that it causes radioactive instability, so I will leave it at that.What is essential to understand, for this question, is that there is an energy to nucleon curve that basically states how much energy is required to hold a nucleon in a certain state. This curve starts off low with hydrogen-1, and increases with atomic mass, up to a peak value around iron-56, and then gradually decreases up through and beyond uranium. There is a peak at helium-4, and then a step change down, followed by a return to the increasing energy through iron but, again, that is not applicable to this question, so I will leave it alone as well.As a result of this curve, which is decreasing by the time we reach uranium, if you were to fission (split) a uranium atom into two parts, the binding energy required to sustain that configuration would be less than the original energy required to sustain the original uranium.This excess energy, also known as a mass deficit, is released when fission of heavy nucleons occurs. That is where the fission of uranium produces so much energy.For a picture of the energy curve, please see the Related Link below.
How nuclear energy transformed to thermal energy?
A nuclear power plant first converts binding energy into thermal energy in order to transfer the energy to where it can be most readily utilized. From there, it flashes water to steam, which spins turbines, which turn generators, which make electricity.
Why does nuclear fusion happen?
Nuclear fusion occurs when two nuclei are placed close enough so that residual binding energy overcomes electromagnetism.Binding energy holds (among other things) quarks together to form protons and neutrons. Residual binding energy, or nuclear force, holds protons and neutrons together to form nuclei. Both forms of binding energy are strong enough, within the confines of the nucleus, sort of - see the next paragraph, to overcome the repulsive force of electromagnetism for like charged particles.Both binding energy and electromagnetism are an inverse function of distance. Binding energy has a steeper distance curve, and that complicates things. Within the confines of a single proton or neutron, or within the confines of smaller nuclei (atomic number less than or equal to 82, lead) binding energy wins. At a certain distance, however, electromagnetism wins, causing protons to repel each other.This magic distance is, primarily, what causes radioactivity, although the weak interaction also has a bearing, but that is not part of the question.In order for fusion to occur, you have to remove the electron cloud. This is done by adding energy, often substantial amounts of heat, creating an ionized plasma. You also have to force the nuclei together. This is done with substantial amounts of pressure, in order to overcome electromagnetism.In the stars, this is easy. Gravity does all the work, creating heat and pressure. On Earth, this is hard. We have been successful creating uncontrolled fusion reactions in hydrogen bombs, but we have not been successful creating sustained controlled reactions. We are probably 50 or more years away from being able to do that.
Why does ionization take energy?
The first electrons to be removed (1st ionization energy) are the ones that are farthest from the nucleus, and so are not held as tightly (further from the positive protons). As you move closer to the nucleus (2nd and 3rd ionization energies), it becomes harder (more energy) to remove them because they are held more tightly by the protons.
