Question

The mass defect is the result of what action occurring?
A) mass being converted to energy when protons and neutrons bind together in a nucleus
B) protons and electrons being attracted to each other
C) energy being converted into moles of atoms when neutrons break apart protons
D) mass being converted to energy when protons and neutrons break apart in a nucleus

Answer 1

d) Is The Correct Answer For The Above Question.

Answer 2

The correct answer is option (D) mass being converted to energy when protons and neutrons break apart in a nucleus.

The concept of mass defect comes from the concept of nuclear binding energy, which is the energy required to disassemble the nucleus of an atom into its components.The components are protons and neutrons. Energy is applied to break the nucleus. The mass of the individual components obtained is always lower than the nucleus. This missing mass is called mass defect, and this mass is lost as energy that was released when the nucleus was formed.