Nuclear Reactions: Fission, Fusion, and Binding Energy

What this note covers

1. Mass Defect and the Origin of Nuclear Binding Energy
2. Worked Example 1 — Mass Defect and Binding Energy of Helium-4
3. Binding Energy Per Nucleon Curve and Nuclear Stability
4. Balancing Nuclear Equations — Conservation Laws
5. Worked Example 2 — Deuterium–Tritium Fusion Energy Calculation
6. Fission vs Fusion: Energy Comparison and Physical Context
7. Conservation of Mass-Energy in Nuclear Reactions: The Complete Picture

7 sections · 14 key terms & formulas · 6 common mistakes