Explain in one or two sentences why the measured mass of a stable atomic nucleus is…

PHYSICS · Subjective · A Level · Physics · Nuclear physics · Nuclear physics

Problem

Explain in one or two sentences why the measured mass of a stable atomic nucleus is less than the sum of the rest masses of its free protons and neutrons.

Related theory

Mass-Energy Equivalence
Nuclear Binding Energy
Mass defect and binding energy
Nuclear physics
Nuclei

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