(a) Energy is required to separate a nucleus into its constituent nucleons, as Figure 31.3 indicates; this energy is the total binding energy of the nucleus. In a similar way one can speak of the energy that binds a single nucleon to the remainder of the nucleus. For example, separating nitrogen  into nitrogen  and a neutron takes energy equal to the binding energy of the neutron, as shown below:

Figure: 

Find the energy (in MeV) that binds the neutron to the  nucleus by considering the mass of  (atomic mass = 13.005 738 u) and the mass of  (atomic mass = 1.008 665 u), as compared to the mass of  (atomic mass = 14.003 074 u).

(b) Similarly, one can speak of the energy that binds a single proton to the  nucleus:

Following the procedure outlined in part (a), determine the energy (in MeV) that binds the proton (atomic mass = 1.007 825 u) to the  nucleus. The atomic mass of carbon  is 13.003 355 u.

(c) Which nucleon is more tightly bound, the neutron or the proton?

14 N EnergyN+on 4N