Binding energy
Binding energy
Binding energy is the energy required to disassemble a whole system into separate parts. A bound system typically has a lower potential energy than the sum of its constituent parts — this is what keeps the system together. Often this means that energy is released upon the creation of a bound state. This definition corresponds to a positive binding energy. (This definition also often causes confusion. For example: A prominent term in chemistry is the 'free energy of binding', which is the difference between the bound and unbound states and thus negative).
