Find the energy released when nucleons bind into a nucleus, from mass defect times c². For nuclear physics learning and nuclear reaction energy assessment.
| Item | Formula / Note | Source / Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Mass defect | Δm = Zm_p + Nm_n − M | Nuclear physics |
| Binding energy | B = Δm·c² | Einstein 1905 |
| Energy conversion | 1 u = 931.494 MeV/c² | CODATA 2018 |
| Binding per nucleon | B/A peaks ~8.8 MeV at Fe-56 | Binding energy curve |
| Semi-empirical formula | Weizsäcker formula (Bethe-Weizsäcker) | Weizsäcker 1935 |
| Coulomb term | Coulomb term in SEMF | Nuclear models |
Constants used on this page and their authoritative sources, for verification and citation
| Constant | Value | Unit | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atomic mass constant (1 u) | 1.66053906660e-27 | kg | CODATA 2018 |
| Energy equivalent of 1 u | 931.49410242 | MeV | CODATA 2018 (= 1 u·c²) |
| Speed of light in vacuum c | 299 792 458 | m·s⁻¹ | SI defining constant (exact) |
| Elementary charge e | 1.602176634e-19 | C | SI defining constant (exact) |
Note: binding energy = Δm·c², with Δm from the difference between constituent nucleon masses and the nuclear mass; nucleon masses follow CODATA 2018 / AME2020 atomic mass evaluation.