The Curve Of Binding Energy · Safe

Heavy, less stable nuclei like Uranium-235 split into smaller fragments. These fragments are closer to the iron peak, meaning they have higher binding energy and release the "missing" energy during the split. Stellar Nucleosynthesis

The shape of the curve dictates how we can extract energy from the atom: The curve of binding energy

The curve of binding energy is a graph that plots against the atomic mass number ( Heavy, less stable nuclei like Uranium-235 split into

Light nuclei move "up" the curve to become more stable by fusing together. This process powers stars like our Sun. This process powers stars like our Sun

), indicating that nuclear forces are "saturated" in mid-sized nuclei.

For very light elements like Hydrogen, the binding energy is low but increases sharply as mass number increases. This steep gradient explains why nuclear fusion (combining light nuclei) releases a massive amount of energy.