With an increase in the mass number A , the binding energy per nucleon of a nucleus

Step-by-step solution

The binding energy per nucleon curve shows that for low mass numbers, the binding energy per nucleon generally increases with an increase in mass number A . It reaches a maximum value of about 8.8 MeV for A 56 (Iron). For mass numbers greater than 56 , the binding energy per nucleon gradually decreases, reaching about 7.6 MeV for Uranium. Therefore, the binding energy per nucleon does not monotonically increase or decrease, but varies in a manner dependent on the specific value of the mass number A .