When a nucleus is formed by bringing protons and neutrons together, the actual mass of the formed nucleus is less than the sum of the masses of the energy e...

When a nucleus is formed by bringing protons and neutrons together, the actual mass of the formed nucleus is less than the sum of the masses of the energy equivalent of this mass difference is the

Answer Details

This phenomenon is called nuclear binding energy. When protons and neutrons come together to form a nucleus, some of the mass is converted into energy, which is released in the process. This released energy is known as the binding energy of the nucleus. The energy equivalent of the mass difference is given by Einstein's famous equation E=mc², where E is energy, m is mass, and c is the speed of light. Therefore, the mass difference is equal to the binding energy divided by the speed of light squared.