What is the strong nuclear force?
Quick Answer
The strong nuclear force binds quarks inside protons and neutrons, and it also holds atomic nuclei together. It is the strongest of the four fundamental forces but acts only at extremely short distances.
The Full Story
The strong nuclear force, also called the strong interaction, is what keeps quarks bound together inside hadrons such as protons and neutrons. It also provides the residual force that binds protons and neutrons in the nucleus, overcoming the repulsion between positively charged protons. The force is carried by gluons, and its theory is quantum chromodynamics, developed in the 1970s. Although it is the strongest known force, it falls off so quickly that its range is only about the size of an atomic nucleus.
Key Facts
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