Which property of the nuclear force leads to the saturation of binding energy in large nuclei?
**Radioactive decay** occurs when nucleus unstable, alpha decay emits He-4, beta decay neutron→proton+electron+antineutrino, gamma decay photon emission, decay law N=N₀ e^{-λt}, half-life T½=ln2/λ, nuclear density ~10¹⁷ kg/m³, nuclear force saturated means BE/A constant for A>20. The short-range nature of the nuclear force means it only affects nearby nucleons, not all nucleons in the nucleus, leading to a saturation effect where adding more nucleons does not significantly increase the binding energy per nucleon in large nuclei. Using E_n = -13.6/n² eV, r_n = n² a₀, L = n h/2π, R = R₀ A^¹/³, B
Ref: NCERT > Physics Book > Atoms and Nuclei > Radioactive Decay, Nuclear Forces and Stability