Last Updated:
Binding energy is a crucial concept in nuclear physics. Option B is correct: Binding energy of a nucleus is the energy released when a nucleus is formed by bringing together its constituent protons and neutrons (nucleons) from infinity. Equivalently, it is the energy required to completely disassemble a nucleus into its individual nucleons. A more stable nucleus has higher binding energy. Iron-56 has the highest binding energy per nucleon (~8.8 MeV) and is therefore the most stable nucleus. Option A is incorrect: Energy required to remove an electron from an atom is called ionization energy, which is an atomic property, not a nuclear property. It is measured in electron volts and is much smaller. Option C is incorrect: Energy stored in chemical bonds is chemical bond energy, which involves electron interactions between atoms. It is millions of times smaller than nuclear binding energy. Option D is incorrect: Kinetic energy of electrons relates to their movement in atomic orbitals, which is described by quantum mechanics and is not binding energy of the nucleus.
