Example 27-2  Nuclear Density

Estimate the density (in kg>m3) of a nucleus that has mass number A.

Set Up
The density of an object is its mass m divided Radius of a nucleus:
by its volume V. We’ll find the volume of a r = r0A1>3 (27-1)
nucleus from Equation 27-1 and the formula
for the volume of a sphere. To estimate the Definition of density:
mass of a nucleus, we’ll multiply the mass m
number A (the number of nucleons) by the r =  (11-1)
V
average mass of a nucleon.
Volume of a sphere of radius r:
mass m = A x (average mass of a nucleon)
4 radius r = r0A1/3
V = pr 3 volume V = (4/3)πr 3
3
density = m/V

Solve
Find the volume of a nucleus of mass Substitute Equation 27-1 into the expression for the volume of a
number A. sphere of radius r:
4 3 4 4
V = pr = p 1r0A1>3 2 3 = pr 30 1A1>3 2 3
3 3 3
4 3
= pr 0A
3

Use r0 = 1.2 fm = 1.2 * 10215 m as in Example 27-1:

4
V = p 11.2 * 10-15 m2 3A
3
= 17.2 * 10-45 m3 2A

Take the average mass of a nucleon to be the The average mass of a nucleon is
average of the proton mass mp and the neutron
mass mn. Use this to write an expression for the mp + mn 11.6726 * 10-27 kg2 + 11.6749 * 10-27 kg2
mavg = =
mass of a nucleus of mass number A. 2 2
-27
= 1.6738 * 10 kg

A nucleus with A nucleons then has mass

m = mavgA = (1.6738 * 10227 kg)A

Calculate the density of the nucleus. The density of the nucleus is

m 11.6738 * 10-27 kg2A 1.6738 * 10-27 kg

r = = =
V 17.2 * 10-45 m3 2A 7.2 * 10-45 m3
= 2.3 * 1017 kg>m3

Reflect
Our final expression for the density r does not depend on A, the mass number of the nucleus. So the density of atoms
of all nuclei is about the same. This agrees with our statements about the short-range character of the strong nuclear
force. Note also that iridium, the densest of all stable elements, has a density of 22,650 kg>m3 (22.65 times the density
of ­water). Our calculation shows that nuclei are 1013 times denser than iridium. Nuclei are extremely dense! This makes
sense: Most of the mass of an atom is concentrated in its nucleus, which has a far smaller volume than the atom as a
whole. So nuclear density (mass divided by volume) must be far greater than what we think of as the “ordinary” density
of matter such as water.

Ch27_example.indd 2 9/4/13 12:54 PM