The Curve Of Binding Energy Direct

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

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 curve of binding energy

The curve of binding energy is a graph that plots against the atomic mass number ( Light nuclei move "up" the curve to become

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. The curve of binding energy