binding energy

American  

[bahyn-ding en-er-jee] / ˈbaɪn dɪŋ ˌɛn ər dʒi /

noun

Physics.

1. Also called separation energy.  the energy required to decompose a molecule, atom, or nucleus into its constituent particles, equal to the energy equivalent of the mass defect.

2. the energy required to separate a single particle or group of particles from a molecule, atom, or nucleus.

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binding energy British  

noun

1. the energy that must be supplied to a stable nucleus before it can undergo fission. It is equal to the mass defect

2. the energy required to remove a particle from a system, esp an electron from an atom

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Etymology

Origin of binding energy

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

This difference in mass is responsible for the binding energy of the nuclei.

From Science Daily • Feb. 13, 2024

In the most modern two-dimensional semiconductors, these excitons have an extraordinarily high binding energy.

From Science Daily • Feb. 9, 2024

Both materials have semiconducting properties like silicon, but unlike silicon, they can also withstand high temperatures and radiation because of their wide electronic bandgap and high atomic binding energy.

From Scientific American • Oct. 23, 2023

And with a binding energy of just 8.6 kJ/mol, it must be chilled to about –100°C to store its maximum amount of hydrogen.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 27, 2023

There were no acceleration dampers, no temporal compensators, no autopilot, no four-space computer, and the primaries operated on nuclear rather than binding energy.

From The Lani People by Bone, Jesse F. (Jesse Franklin)