Question

Energy is released in nuclear fission is due to

• A. Few mass is converted into energy
• B. total binding energy of fragments is more than the binding energy of parental element
• C. total binding energy of fragments is less than the binding energy of parental element
• D. total binding energy of fragments is equal to the binding energy of parental element.

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

Energy is released in nuclear fission is due to the total binding energy (BE) of fragments is more than the B.E. of the parental element.
Nuclear fission occurs in heavy nuclei and leads to the formation of lighter nuclei.
It is well known from the B.E. curve that for heavier nuclei, a decrease in the atomic mass lead to increase of binding energy per nucleon in a nucleus.