What causes the mass of the two reacting nuclei to convert to energy and if it is for a purpose then why is it released. What is the source for this cause (if there)?

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2022-08-20

What causes the mass of the two reacting nuclei to convert to energy and if it is for a purpose then why is it released. What is the source for this cause (if there)?

Answer & Explanation

Bryce Obrien

Bryce Obrien

Beginner2022-08-21Added 8 answers

Neutrons and protons consist of quarks, and when a neutron and a proton are squeezed tightly enough together, the quarks in each begin to interact and cause them to attract one another. The resulting bound state represents a lower energy configuration that what existed before, which means that when the binding occurs, energy is released, and the bound particles remain stuck together.
This in turn means that every possible bound state of neutrons and protons has a characteristic binding energy associated with it, and the biggest change in energy between the unbound and bound states happens when hydrogen is converted into helium.

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