The Curve Of Binding: Energy

. Nuclei in this "iron peak" (notably and Nickel-62 ) are the most tightly bound and stable in the universe.

Beyond iron, the binding energy per nucleon gradually decreases. This happens because the repulsive electrostatic force between protons begins to overcome the short-range strong nuclear force. Saturation Region: Between mass numbers , the binding energy is relatively constant (around The curve of binding energy

), indicating that nuclear forces are "saturated" in mid-sized nuclei. The curve of binding energy