ENERGY RELEASE FROM FISSION
DOE-HDBK-1019/1-93
Atomic and Nuclear Physics
Figure 22 graphically depicts that the binding energy per nucleon for the products (C,
Figure 22 Change in Binding Energy for Typical Fission
rubidium-93 and B, cesium-140) is greater than that for the reactant (A, uranium-235). The total
binding energy for a nucleus can be found by multiplying the binding energy per nucleon by the
number of nucleons.
TABLE 5
Binding Energies Calculated from
Binding Energy per Nucleon Curve
Nuclide
B.E. per Nucleon
(BE/A)
Mass Number
(A)
Binding Energy
(BE/A) x (A)
9
3
3
7
Rb
8.7 MeV
93
809 MeV
14
5
0
5
Cs
8.4 MeV
140
1176 MeV
23
9
5
2
U
7.6 MeV
235
1786 MeV
NP-01
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