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Specialty Chemistry Forums => Nuclear Chemistry and Radiochemistry Forum => Topic started by: Mitch on October 03, 2005, 10:05:39 PM

Title: Assumptions made in the Semi-Emperical Mass Formula
Post by: Mitch on October 03, 2005, 10:05:39 PM

What assumption(s) were made when deciding the volume term in the semi-emperical mass formula to be equal to a_vA.

Title: Re:Assumptions made in the Semi-Emperical Mass Formula
Post by: Mitch on October 03, 2005, 10:07:24 PM

One, is that the radius of the nuclei has a sharp cut-off. Can you think of anything else?

Title: Re:Assumptions made in the Semi-Emperical Mass Formula
Post by: Grejak on October 03, 2005, 10:27:43 PM

Two, the nucleus is spherical.

Title: Re:Assumptions made in the Semi-Emperical Mass Formula
Post by: alkemist on October 08, 2005, 02:33:29 PM

Well the major assumption here is that the binding energy is linearly dependent on the number of nucleons, which is what you would expect.  It's more of a guess than an assumption.  Basically, it's assumed that no other factors are important in determining the binding energy of a nucleus other then it's nucleon number, which of course it was proven not to be true, and corrected by other terms that correct for surface energy, the coulombic force,  and symmetry.