Define the unit of mass in nuclear physics. Explain the measurement of the mass of a body.

Vedclass pdf generator app on play store
Vedclass iOS app on app store
(A) In nuclear physics,the mass of an atom and nucleus is very small; hence,the unified atomic mass unit $(u)$ is established for expressing mass.
$1$ unified atomic mass unit $(1 u) = \frac{1}{12}$ of the mass of a carbon-$12$ isotope $({ }_{6}^{12} C)$ atom,including the mass of electrons,which is equal to $1.66 \times 10^{-27} \ kg$.
Generally,the mass of a body is measured using a common physical balance.
For large masses in the universe (like planets or stars),the measurement is based on Newton's universal law of gravitation:
$m = \frac{F r^2}{G M_e}$
To measure very small masses (like atoms),a mass spectrometer is used. In this instrument,the radius of the trajectory is proportional to the mass of the charged particle moving in a uniform electric and magnetic field.

Explore More

Similar Questions

In an experiment to estimate the size of a molecule of oleic acid,$1\, mL$ of oleic acid is dissolved in $19\, mL$ of alcohol. Then $1\, mL$ of this solution is diluted to $20\, mL$ by adding alcohol. Now,$1$ drop of this diluted solution is placed on water in a shallow trough. The solution spreads over the surface of water,forming a one-molecule-thick layer. Lycopodium powder is sprinkled evenly over the film,and its diameter is measured. Knowing the volume of the drop and the area of the film,we can calculate the thickness of the film,which gives us the size of the oleic acid molecule.
Read the passage carefully and answer the following questions.
$(a)$ Why do we dissolve oleic acid in alcohol?
$(b)$ What is the role of lycopodium powder?
$(c)$ What would be the volume of oleic acid in each $mL$ of the solution prepared?
$(d)$ How will you calculate the volume of $n$ drops of this solution of oleic acid?
$(e)$ What will be the volume of oleic acid in one drop of this solution?

$A$ $LASER$ is a source of very intense,monochromatic,and unidirectional beam of light. These properties of a laser light can be exploited to measure long distances. The distance of the Moon from the Earth has been already determined very precisely using a laser as a source of light. $A$ laser light beamed at the Moon takes $2.56 \; s$ to return after reflection at the Moon's surface. How much is the radius of the lunar orbit around the Earth?

What is called a basis? What is parallax? Define angular diameter.

What is the accuracy of an atomic clock?

The moon is observed from two diametrically opposite points $A$ and $B$ on Earth. The angle $\theta$ subtended at the moon by the two directions of observation is $1^{\circ} 54^{\prime}$. Given the diameter of the Earth to be about $1.276 \times 10^{7} \; m$,compute the distance of the moon from the Earth.

Vedclass Products

For Students

Vedclass Test Series

Mock tests in real JEE/NEET style with performance analysis. 5-day free trial.

Start Free Trial
For Teachers

Exam Paper Generator

Generate Set A/B/C/D exam papers from 7.5L+ questions in 2 minutes. 3 chapters free.

Try Free
For Institutes

Online Exam Module

Live online exams with unlimited students, 360° analytics & white-label branding.

See Demo