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mass defect |
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mass defect [′mas ′dē‚fekt] (nuclear physics) The difference between the mass of an atom and the sum of the masses of its individual components in the free (unbound) state. Mass defect The difference between the mass of an atom and the sum of the masses of its individual components in the free (unbound) state. The mass of an atom is always less than the total mass of its constituent particles; this means, according to Albert Einstein's well-known formula, that an energy of E = mc2 has been released in the process of combination, where m is the difference between the total mass of the constituent particles and the mass of the atom, and c is the velocity of light. The mass defect, when expressed in energy units, is called the binding energy, a term which is perhaps more commonly used. See Nuclear binding energy How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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