Irodov Problem 6.260

This problem is about mass defect and binding energy in nuclear reactions. The key insight is that the energy released (or absorbed) comes from the difference in total binding energy between products and reactants—nuclei with stronger binding are more stable and release energy when formed. You'll need to track which nuclei are reactants versus products, then use the fact that $Q = (BE_{\text{products}} - BE_{\text{reactants}})$ to find the reaction energy.

This problem is about mass defect and binding energy in nuclear reactions. The key insight is that the energy released (or absorbed) comes from the difference in total binding energy between products and reactants—nuclei with stronger binding are more stable and release energy when formed. You'll need to track which nuclei are reactants versus products, then use the fact that $Q = (BE_{\text{products}} - BE_{\text{reactants}})$ to find the reaction energy.