Question

What is the mass defect of oxygen-16? Assume the following:
The atomic number of oxygen-16 is 8.
The atomic mass of oxygen-16 is 15.9994 atomic mass units.
The mass of one proton is 1.0073 atomic mass units.
The mass of one neutron is 1.0087 atomic mass units.

Answer 1

an atom of oxygen-16 \(should\) weigh just as much as 8 protons and 8 neutrons put together, right?

Answer 2

I forget the details, but well, SHOULD is the operative word. The MASS DEFECT is the bit which is E=mc^2 into NUCLEAR BINDING ENERGY. I think that MD refers specifically to the nucleus.
As I understand it (badly), Professors Lisa Meitner and Otto Hahn used this to demonstrate/realise that they'd just FISSIONED a nucleus. OH got a noble prize in (radio)chemistry for the discovery, LM got a chat with Pr Niels BOHR, also a Nobel prize winner. The setting for this lot of fun and games was WW2, and what went on then became the precursor, so to speak, to modern day nuclear technology.
http://perendis.webs.com

Answer 3

yes, compare \(15.9994\) with \(8 ( 1.0073 + 1.0087)\)

Answer 4

thankyou shamrock, that was the bit where my brain exploded !

Answer 5

fission or fusion?!?!

Answer 6

left fissioned, then the right fusioned. Abs b chaos !

Answer 7

You went asymmεtrical ?!?!