The strong nuclear force is the force that holds the protons and neutrons in the nucleus together

Based on the fact that atomic nuclei can be stable, briefly explain how you can conclude that the strong force must be even stronger than the electromagnetic force, at least over very short distances.


An atomic nucleus is made of protons and neutrons. The neutrons have no charge, but protons are positively charged. Thus, if it were just up to the electromagnetic force, a nucleus would fall apart due to the repulsion between the positive protons. Since the strong force is holding the nucleus together despite the electromagnetic repulsion, it must be the stronger (per particle) force within the nucleus. Note that this strength holds only over distances roughly the size of an atomic nucleus. Over larger distances, the strong force cannot be felt at all.

Physics & Space Science

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