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Chemistry Forums for Students => High School Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: lulu4000 on January 27, 2009, 09:01:50 PM

Title: Mass Defect
Post by: lulu4000 on January 27, 2009, 09:01:50 PM
Neon-20 is a stable isotope of neon. Its actual mass has been found to be 19.99244 amu. Determine the mass defect in this nuclide.

Can you help me understand on how to do the mass defect?
Title: Re: Mass Defect
Post by: Astrokel on January 27, 2009, 11:53:58 PM
Mass defect is the difference in the mass of the an atom and its consituent particles.

Hint: Neon-20
Title: Re: Mass Defect
Post by: Donaldson Tan on January 28, 2009, 04:24:12 AM
According to Einstein, mass and energy are interchangeable. Mass defect occurs because the missing mass has been converted into energy. In the case of mass defect of atoms, the mass defect has been converted into energy that holds the atom together.