How does the strong force work inside the nucleus of an atom?
Quick Answer
Residual strong-force effects bind protons and neutrons together in the nucleus, overcoming electric repulsion between protons. This nuclear binding is much weaker than the force between quarks but still powerful on tiny scales.
The Full Story
Inside a nucleus, protons and neutrons are held together by the residual strong force, sometimes called the nuclear force. It is the leftover effect of the much stronger force that binds quarks inside each proton or neutron. This force acts over distances of only about a femtometer, roughly the size of a nucleus, and it must overcome the electric repulsion between positively charged protons. Nuclear stability depends on the balance between this attraction and other effects, such as the number of protons and neutrons. The Japanese physicist Hideki Yukawa proposed meson exchange in the 1930s as an early explanation of how this short-range force might work.
Key Facts
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"Why do protons stick together when they should repel? The nuclear force."
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