The discussion revolves around calculating the binding energy of carbon-12 (12C), focusing on the relevant mass defect and the components involved in the calculation.
Participants are actively questioning the role of electrons in the binding energy calculation and clarifying whether the focus is on the nucleus or the entire atom. Some guidance has been provided regarding the components to consider based on the context of the question.
There is uncertainty regarding the interpretation of the problem, specifically whether it pertains to the carbon nucleus or the carbon atom, which affects the calculation of binding energy.
Swap said:Binding energy= (mass of the total no of protons and the nucleus - mass of the atom itself)/c^2.
It depends on whether the question is referring to the atom or nucleus.thereddevils said:Thanks but why is electrons not involved here?
Fightfish said:It depends on whether the question is referring to the atom or nucleus.
The binding energy of a nucleus would just involve the nucleons, whereas the binding energy of the atom would involve the electrons as well.