A student writes the following statements about the relationship between mass defect and nuclear binding energy.
- When an isotope’s protons and neutrons come together to form a nuclide, a small amount of mass is converted to energy
. 2. An equivalent amount of energy must be added to the nuclide to split apart its protons and neutrons.
- Statement 1 describes the isotope’s nuclear binding energy, and statement 2 describes the isotope’s mass defect.
Which statement is correct?
A1 only
B2 only
C.1 and 2 only
D.1, 2, and 3
A1 only
B2 only
D.1, 2, and 3