Lesson 11.1.1

11.1.1 Nuclear binding energy and the atomic mass unit Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Physics, Unit 11

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 11.1.1, Nuclear binding energy and the atomic mass unit: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Physics (9PH0), Unit 11: Nuclear Radiation, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is the nuclear binding energy of a nucleus?

    • The kinetic energy of the nucleus as it moves through space.
    • The energy released when a nucleus emits an alpha particle.
    • The energy needed to separate the nucleus completely into its individual nucleons.
    • The energy stored in the electrons surrounding the nucleus.

  2. What is the mass defect of a nucleus?

    • The extra mass a nucleus gains when it absorbs a neutron from its surroundings.
    • The total mass of the electrons that orbit the nucleus in its outer shells.
    • The difference between the summed nucleon masses and the nuclear mass.
    • The mass lost when a nucleus emits a gamma photon only, with no change in charge.

  3. What is the value of one atomic mass unit (u) in kilograms?

    • 1.66 x 10^-27 kg
    • 1.66 x 10^-19 kg
    • 6.02 x 10^-27 kg
    • 1.00 x 10^-27 kg

  4. What energy is equivalent to one atomic mass unit?

    • about 1.6 MeV
    • about 931 MeV
    • about 13.6 MeV
    • about 511 MeV

  5. Which nucleus has the greatest binding energy per nucleon?

    • Hydrogen-2
    • Iron-56
    • Uranium-238
    • Lead-208

  6. Which equation gives the energy released from a mass defect Δ m?

    • E = Δ m / c^2
    • E = Δ m c
    • E = Δ m c^2 / 2
    • E = Δ m c^2

  7. A helium-4 nucleus has mass 4.0015 u. Protons have mass 1.00728 u and neutrons 1.00866 u. What is the mass defect?

    • 0.0050 u
    • 0.0152 u
    • 0.0319 u
    • 0.0304 u

  8. Using the mass defect of 0.0304 u for helium-4, what is the total binding energy? Use 1 u = 931.5 MeV.

    • about 4.03 MeV
    • about 0.03 MeV
    • about 7.07 MeV
    • about 28.3 MeV

  9. The binding energy of helium-4 is about 28.3 MeV for 4 nucleons. What is the binding energy per nucleon?

    • about 4.0 MeV
    • about 0.76 MeV
    • about 28 MeV
    • about 7.1 MeV

  10. A nuclear reaction changes mass by 0.020 u. What energy is released? Use 1 u = 931.5 MeV.

    • about 0.02 MeV
    • about 18.6 MeV
    • about 9.3 MeV
    • about 931 MeV

  11. What is the energy equivalent of a mass defect of 1.0 g? Use c = 3.0 x 10^8 m s^-1.

    • 3.0 x 10^8 J
    • 9.0 x 10^13 J
    • 9.0 x 10^16 J
    • 9.0 x 10^10 J

  12. Convert 2.0 u to kilograms, using 1 u = 1.66 x 10^-27 kg.

    • 6.64 x 10^-27 kg
    • 1.66 x 10^-27 kg
    • 3.32 x 10^-25 kg
    • 3.32 x 10^-27 kg

  13. Why does the formation of a nucleus release energy?

    • Electrons are removed from the nucleus during formation.
    • The nucleus has less mass than its separate nucleons, and the lost mass is released as binding energy.
    • The nucleus must be heated to form, which releases energy as light.
    • The nucleus has more mass than its separate nucleons, so energy is absorbed.

  14. A nucleus has binding energy 2.22 MeV for 2 nucleons (deuterium). Which statement is correct?

    • The binding energy is equal to the energy that must be supplied to separate the two nucleons.
    • The binding energy is the energy released when the nucleus is destroyed.
    • Binding energy is always negative for any nucleus.
    • Deuterium has a higher binding energy per nucleon than iron.

  15. Why does binding energy per nucleon increase as nuclei get heavier from hydrogen up to iron?

    • The strong attraction between nucleons outweighs proton repulsion up to iron.
    • Heavier nuclei have fewer protons, which removes electrostatic repulsion completely from the nucleus.
    • Binding energy per nucleon is constant for all nuclei, regardless of their mass number.
    • Heavier nuclei lose electrons, which increases their binding energy per nucleon sharply.

  16. A nucleus with mass number 56 is formed from separate nucleons. Which statement is most accurate?

    • Its mass is zero because all nucleons have been converted to energy.
    • Its mass is greater than the sum of the separate nucleons.
    • Its mass is less than the total mass of its separated nucleons, with the difference released as energy.
    • Its mass equals the sum of the separate nucleons, because mass is conserved in every reaction.

  17. Why is the mass of a nucleus slightly less than the sum of its individual protons and neutrons?

    • Electrons are removed from the nucleus, so their mass is lost.
    • Some mass has been converted to binding energy, which is released when the nucleus forms.
    • Neutrons have a mass that varies with the number of protons.
    • Protons and neutrons lose mass when they are inside a nucleus.

  18. Why is the atomic mass unit a convenient unit for nuclear masses?

    • u is always exactly equal to the mass of an electron, which is why it is used.
    • u is used only for measuring the mass of the Earth and other large planets.
    • Nuclear masses are tiny in kilograms, so u gives convenient numbers.
    • u is the mass of one mole of a substance, measured in grams for chemistry.

  19. For a nucleus of binding energy 100 MeV made from 25 nucleons, what is the binding energy per nucleon?

    • 4.0 MeV
    • 25 MeV
    • 100 MeV
    • 0.25 MeV

  20. A nucleus contains 26 protons and 30 neutrons. What is its mass number?

    • 26
    • 30
    • 4
    • 56

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