How is mass defect determined?
A. comparing the mass of the neutrons with the mass of the protons
B.comparing the mass of the nucleus with the number of neutrons
C. comparing the mass of the nucleus with the masses of the protons and neutrons D. comparing the mass of the protons with the number of electrons
C. comparing the mass of the nucleus with the masses of the protons and neutrons
Explanation:
Mass defect is the difference in mass of an atom and the sum of the masses of neutrons, protons and electrons. The difference in mass or the mass defect in converted to energy according to Einstein's equation, E = mc², where E is energy, m is mass and c is the speed of light. Also according to law of conservation of mass and energy, mass and energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Mass gets converted ton energy and vice versa. The total mass and energy of the universe remains conserved.
