mass defect

American  

noun

Physics.

1. the amount by which the mass of an atomic nucleus differs from the sum of the masses of its constituent particles, being the mass equivalent of the energy released in the formation of the nucleus.

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mass defect British  

noun

1. physics the amount by which the mass of a particular nucleus is less than the total mass of its constituent particles See also binding energy

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Etymology

Origin of mass defect

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

In the case of helium, the mass defect indicates a “loss” in mass of 4.0331 amu – 4.0026 amu = 0.0305 amu.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

This “missing” mass is the mass defect, which has been converted into the binding energy that holds the nucleus together according to Einstein’s mass-energy equivalence equation, E = mc2.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

This difference between the calculated and experimentally measured masses is known as the mass defect of the atom.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

We next calculate the binding energy for one nucleus from the mass defect using the mass-energy equivalence equation:

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

This difference in mass is known as mass defect.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015