Isobar Binding Energy

[jjson775]

Homework Statement

Nuclei having the same mass numbers are called isobars. The isotope 139/57 La is stable. A radioactive isobar 139/59 Pr decays by e+ emission. Another radioactive isobar 139/55 Cs, decays by e- emission. a) Which of these 3 isobars has the highest neutron to proton ratio? b) Which has the greatest binding energy per nucleon?

Relevant Equations

See below

 

[haruspex]

Homework Statement:: Nuclei having the same mass numbers are called isobars. The isotope 139/57 La is stable. A radioactive isobar 139/59 Pr decays by e+ emission. Another radioactive isobar 139/55 Cs, decays by e- emission. a) Which of these 3 isobars has the highest neutron to proton ratio? b) Which has the greatest binding energy per nucleon?
Relevant Equations:: See below

View attachment 272898
View attachment 272899

How are you calculating the atomic masses of the isotopes? I just looked them up, and calculate that the La has the highest binding energy, as expected for the most stable.

 

[jjson775]

139/59 Pr does not exist according to my table. So, to calculate the atomic mass to use in the binding formula, I used 140.908 for 141 Pr and subtracted the mass of 2 neutrons to give me an atomic mass of 138.9 for 139 Pr., as shown in the picture of my work. Apparently, my reasoning is wrong because the binding energy I get is too big.

 

[haruspex]

139/59 Pr does not exist according to my table. So, to calculate the atomic mass to use in the binding formula, I used 140.908 for 141 Pr and subtracted the mass of 2 neutrons to give me an atomic mass of 138.9 for 139 Pr., as shown in the picture of my work. Apparently, my reasoning is wrong because the binding energy I get is too big.

At https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/9783527618798.app2 it is given as 138.9089322.
The problem with your approximation method is that all three will have binding energies (correction: I mean, of course, atomic masses) close to 138.9, so precision is crucial.

 

[jjson775]

Thanks. I found a reference with more precise atom masses.