# 9702 P4 Mass defect and nuclear binding energy Topic Questions

> CIE IAL 9702 P4: every Mass defect and nuclear binding… topic question from 9 papers (2025–2026), grouped by syllabus point. 20 questions, 51 marks, with…

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CIE IAL · Physics · 9702 P4 · A Level

Every 9702 P4 Mass defect and nuclear binding energy topic question from the 2025–2027 syllabus, drawn from 9 papers (2025–2026) and grouped by syllabus point. Each row opens a page listing the exact question numbers, marks and a direct link into the paper. These are questions by topic, not full papers, so you can revise one topic at a time.

- 9702 P4
- 6 subtopics
- 20 topic questions
- 9 papers
- 51 tagged marks
- [Back to Mass defect and nuclear binding energy](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/)
- [All paper codes](https://www.examsci.com/topics/)

Core finding

**7 calculate the energy released in nuclear reactions using … is the most frequently assessed subtopic in Mass defect and nuclear binding energy, with 10 topic questions and 32 marks across 7 papers.** 1 understand the equivalence between energy and mass as… follows with 6 topic questions and 14 marks. The topic contains 6 subtopics, 20 topic questions and 51 marks in total. Rows count only the parts tagged to that subtopic, keep the same colour in both charts and repeat paper count, tagged marks and year range in the native table.

## Topic question count and mark distribution

Subtopics are on the vertical axis and sorted from highest to lowest. Only the parts whose knowledge graph matches a subtopic are counted for it, and percentages are each row's share of the tagged total in that chart. A part tagged to several subtopics is counted in each bar, so the bars are not a partition of the topic total.

### Questions by subtopic

question items

- [7 calculate the energy released in nuclear reactions using $E = c^2\Delta m$](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/7-calculate-the-energy-released-in-nuclear-reactions-using-e-c-2-delta-m/) (7 papers) — 10 · 34.5%
- [1 understand the equivalence between energy and mass as represented by $E = mc^2$ and recall and use this equation](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/1-understand-the-equivalence-between-energy-and-mass-as-represented-by-e-mc-2-and/) (6 papers) — 6 · 20.7%
- [3 define and use the terms mass defect and binding energy](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/3-define-and-use-the-terms-mass-defect-and-binding-energy/) (5 papers) — 5 · 17.2%
- [2 represent simple nuclear reactions by nuclear equations of the form $^{14}_{7}N + ^{4}_{2}He \rightarrow ^{17}_{8}O + ^{1}_{1}H$](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/2-represent-simple-nuclear-reactions-by-nuclear-equations-of-the-form-14-7-n-4-2-he/) (4 papers) — 4 · 13.8%
- [5 explain what is meant by nuclear fusion and nuclear fission](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/5-explain-what-is-meant-by-nuclear-fusion-and-nuclear-fission/) (2 papers) — 2 · 6.9%
- [6 explain the relevance of binding energy per nucleon to nuclear reactions, including nuclear fusion and nuclear fission](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/6-explain-the-relevance-of-binding-energy-per-nucleon-to-nuclear-reactions-including/) (2 papers) — 2 · 6.9%

### Marks by subtopic

marks

- [7 calculate the energy released in nuclear reactions using $E = c^2\Delta m$](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/7-calculate-the-energy-released-in-nuclear-reactions-using-e-c-2-delta-m/) (7 papers) — 32 · 39.5%
- [1 understand the equivalence between energy and mass as represented by $E = mc^2$ and recall and use this equation](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/1-understand-the-equivalence-between-energy-and-mass-as-represented-by-e-mc-2-and/) (6 papers) — 14 · 17.3%
- [2 represent simple nuclear reactions by nuclear equations of the form $^{14}_{7}N + ^{4}_{2}He \rightarrow ^{17}_{8}O + ^{1}_{1}H$](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/2-represent-simple-nuclear-reactions-by-nuclear-equations-of-the-form-14-7-n-4-2-he/) (4 papers) — 11 · 13.6%
- [3 define and use the terms mass defect and binding energy](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/3-define-and-use-the-terms-mass-defect-and-binding-energy/) (5 papers) — 11 · 13.6%
- [6 explain the relevance of binding energy per nucleon to nuclear reactions, including nuclear fusion and nuclear fission](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/6-explain-the-relevance-of-binding-energy-per-nucleon-to-nuclear-reactions-including/) (2 papers) — 8 · 9.9%
- [5 explain what is meant by nuclear fusion and nuclear fission](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/5-explain-what-is-meant-by-nuclear-fusion-and-nuclear-fission/) (2 papers) — 5 · 6.2%

## Subtopic comparison matrix

Curriculum order is by syllabus number, then alphabetically. Every row links to the matching past-paper question list.

| Subtopic | Topic questions | Papers | Marks | Years | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **[1 understand the equivalence between energy and mass as represented by $E = mc^2$ and recall and use this equation](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/1-understand-the-equivalence-between-energy-and-mass-as-represented-by-e-mc-2-and/)** | 6 | 6 | 14 | 2025–2026 | [Open topic questions](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/1-understand-the-equivalence-between-energy-and-mass-as-represented-by-e-mc-2-and/) |
| **[2 represent simple nuclear reactions by nuclear equations of the form $^{14}_{7}N + ^{4}_{2}He \rightarrow ^{17}_{8}O + ^{1}_{1}H$](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/2-represent-simple-nuclear-reactions-by-nuclear-equations-of-the-form-14-7-n-4-2-he/)** | 4 | 4 | 11 | 2025–2026 | [Open topic questions](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/2-represent-simple-nuclear-reactions-by-nuclear-equations-of-the-form-14-7-n-4-2-he/) |
| **[3 define and use the terms mass defect and binding energy](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/3-define-and-use-the-terms-mass-defect-and-binding-energy/)** | 5 | 5 | 11 | 2025–2026 | [Open topic questions](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/3-define-and-use-the-terms-mass-defect-and-binding-energy/) |
| **[5 explain what is meant by nuclear fusion and nuclear fission](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/5-explain-what-is-meant-by-nuclear-fusion-and-nuclear-fission/)** | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2025 | [Open topic questions](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/5-explain-what-is-meant-by-nuclear-fusion-and-nuclear-fission/) |
| **[6 explain the relevance of binding energy per nucleon to nuclear reactions, including nuclear fusion and nuclear fission](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/6-explain-the-relevance-of-binding-energy-per-nucleon-to-nuclear-reactions-including/)** | 2 | 2 | 8 | 2026 | [Open topic questions](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/6-explain-the-relevance-of-binding-energy-per-nucleon-to-nuclear-reactions-including/) |
| **[7 calculate the energy released in nuclear reactions using $E = c^2\Delta m$](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/7-calculate-the-energy-released-in-nuclear-reactions-using-e-c-2-delta-m/)** | 10 | 7 | 32 | 2025–2026 | [Open topic questions](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/7-calculate-the-energy-released-in-nuclear-reactions-using-e-c-2-delta-m/) |

## Browse every topic question

- [1 understand the equivalence between energy and mass as represented by $E = mc^2$ and recall and use this equation](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/1-understand-the-equivalence-between-energy-and-mass-as-represented-by-e-mc-2-and/) — 6 question items · 6 papers — 14 marks · 2025–2026
- [2 represent simple nuclear reactions by nuclear equations of the form $^{14}_{7}N + ^{4}_{2}He \rightarrow ^{17}_{8}O + ^{1}_{1}H$](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/2-represent-simple-nuclear-reactions-by-nuclear-equations-of-the-form-14-7-n-4-2-he/) — 4 question items · 4 papers — 11 marks · 2025–2026
- [3 define and use the terms mass defect and binding energy](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/3-define-and-use-the-terms-mass-defect-and-binding-energy/) — 5 question items · 5 papers — 11 marks · 2025–2026
- [5 explain what is meant by nuclear fusion and nuclear fission](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/5-explain-what-is-meant-by-nuclear-fusion-and-nuclear-fission/) — 2 question items · 2 papers — 5 marks · 2025
- [6 explain the relevance of binding energy per nucleon to nuclear reactions, including nuclear fusion and nuclear fission](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/6-explain-the-relevance-of-binding-energy-per-nucleon-to-nuclear-reactions-including/) — 2 question items · 2 papers — 8 marks · 2026
- [7 calculate the energy released in nuclear reactions using $E = c^2\Delta m$](https://www.examsci.com/topics/cie-ial/physics/9702-paper-4/mass-defect-and-nuclear-binding-energy/7-calculate-the-energy-released-in-nuclear-reactions-using-e-c-2-delta-m/) — 10 question items · 7 papers — 32 marks · 2025–2026

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## Topic question rules and edge cases

**How many subtopics does Mass defect and nuclear binding energy contain?**

This page lists 6 subtopics tagged to the current syllabus. They are ordered by syllabus number, then alphabetically, and each row opens a page of matching past-paper questions.

**How are the subtopic question and mark totals calculated?**

A multiple-choice question contributes one item and its marks to every subtopic it is tagged with. A structured question contributes one item per tagged part, and that part’s marks; untagged parts of the same question are not counted here. A part tagged to several subtopics therefore appears under each of them.

**Why do some subtopics have no numbered prefix?**

Practical-skills statements and some syllabus bullets are unnumbered. Numbered statements come first; unnumbered statements and ties are sorted alphabetically.

**Is the LaTeX rendered without JavaScript?**

Yes. Subtopics that contain formulas are converted to static KaTeX HTML during the build, and the KaTeX stylesheet is served from the same site.

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