If both the number of protons and the number of neutrons are conserved in each nuclear reaction, in what way is mass converted into energy (or vice-versa) in a nuclear reaction ? Explain.

Explanation

(a) : A chemical equation is balanced in the sense that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation.
In nuclear reactions the number of protons and the number of neutrons are the same on the two sides of the equation.
(b) : The total binding energy of nuclei on the left side need not be the same as that on the right hand side. The difference in these binding energies appears as energy re leased or absorbed in a nuclear reaction.