When did physicists first calculate a reliable range for the strong nuclear force?
Quick Answer
In 1935, Yukawa’s theory predicted a very short-range nuclear force, with the exchange particle concept giving a range of about 10^-15 meters.
The Full Story
Hideki Yukawa’s 1935 proposal gave the first successful estimate of the strong nuclear force’s range. He argued that the force must be transmitted by a massive particle, which naturally limits how far the force can reach. His calculation pointed to a range on the order of a femtometer, about 10^-15 meters, roughly the size of an atomic nucleus. That insight helped explain why nuclei are stable even though protons repel one another electrically.
Key Facts
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"Why does the force inside an atom die off so fast? The answer was predicted in 1935."
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