Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct? (A) The rest mass of a stable nucleus is less than the sum of the rest masses of its separated nucleons. (B) The rest mass of a stable nucleus is greater than the sum of the rest masses of its separated nucleons. (C) In nuclear fusion, energy is released by fusion of two nuclei of medium mass (approx. 100 amu) (D) In nuclear fusion, energy is released by fragmentati

Step-by-step solution

- (A) The rest mass of a stable nucleus is less than the sum of the rest masses of its separated nucleons. This is the definition of mass defect, which accounts for the binding energy holding the nucleus together. This energy is released when nucleons combine to form a stable nucleus. - (B) The rest mass of a stable nucleus is greater than the sum of the rest masses of its separated nucleons. This statement is incorrect. If this were true, the nucleus would spontaneously break apart. - (C) In nuclear fusion, energy