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I recently was nuclear physics there I learned that the the actual mass of a nucleus is less than what we expect it to be (simply adding the masses of the nucleons). It is due to the release of binding energy and using $E=mc^2$ we can definitely say that some mass is gone.

The question is: Does this happen when endothermic or exothermic reactions take place? For example, does the mass of the products increase in comparison to the reactants if it is an endothermic reaction. Or the above phenomenon is observed only in the atomic level.

Also, where (the neutron or the proton) does the lost mass in the nuclear phenomenon come from? Which particle loses the mass?

Thank you.

Dale
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The question is does this happen when endothermic or exothermic reactions take place

Yes, although the changes are generally too small to have a measurable effect.

where from (the neutron or the proton) does the mass in the nuclear phenomenon go as energy. which particle loses the mass. thank you.

There is no sense in which one specific part of the nucleus loses the energy. The nucleus is a compound particle, its own system. That total system has lower mass than the sum of the constituent particles. If you remove any nucleon from the system you will find that it has the usual mass, but while it is part of the nucleus the system as a whole has less mass.

Dale
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