BRAINCAKEThe Strong Nuclear Force
The nucleus contains positively charged protons, which repel each other electrostatically. The gravitational attraction between nucleons is far too weak to hold the nucleus together. Instead, a much stronger force acts: the strong nuclear force.
Properties of the strong nuclear force:
• It acts between all hadrons (such as protons and neutrons) and between the quarks inside them. It does not act on leptons such as electrons.
• It acts equally between proton-proton, proton-neutron and neutron-neutron pairs.
• It has a very short range. It is attractive up to a separation of about 3 fm (3 × 10−15 m), and beyond that it quickly becomes negligible.
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Key terms in this lesson
- hadron
- A particle made of quarks that is affected by the strong nuclear force, such as a proton or neutron.
- quark
- A fundamental particle that combines with others, bound by the strong nuclear force, to form hadrons such as protons and neutrons.
- lepton
- A fundamental particle, such as the electron or neutrino, that does not feel the strong nuclear force.
More in Fundamental Particles
- Fundamental Particles
- Antiparticles
- Hadrons and Leptons
- Quarks and Antiquarks
- Quark Composition of Protons and Neutrons
- Baryons and Mesons
- Beta-Minus Decay and Quarks
- Beta-Plus Decay and Quarks
All 11 lessons in Fundamental Particles · All OCR A-level Physics topics