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"The difference, originally quaintly called the "mass defect," is, of course, the "binding energy" that serves to hold the nucleus together. ... So where does the "binding energy" that holds these particles together come from?"
I'm a bit confused here. I have thought that the binding energy is the energy that a system *gives away* when bonds are formed; the bonding could be chemical, nuclear or whatever. The mass of the system decreases because part of the initial rest energy ('the mass defect') is transported to the surroundings or manifests itself as kinetic energy of the products. Isn't this the whole idea behind extracting nuclear power?
So I wouldn't like to talk about the binding energy as if it were present in the system to keep it together.
Should I correct my view?