0
Which fundamental force keeps the nucleus of an atom from breaking apart?
Wiki User
∙ 8y ago
Excellent question! I assume you are familiar with the electric repulsion that would make the protons repel (they both have a +1 charge). So, there are four forces in the universe:
1. Gravity-This is actually the weakest force. Think about it. It takes something as big as the earth to hold down a truck. Now think about the size of an electromagnet at a junk yard that can pick it up!
2. Weak Nuclear force-this is what causes radioactive chemicals (like Uranium) to decay (what makes them "radioactive".)
3. Electromagnetism-you are obviously familiar with this one.
4. The Strong Nuclear Force-this is the answer to you question.
The strong nuclear force, or "strong force", binds protons and nuetrons together. If that satisfies your curiosity, stop here, cause further explaination can get ugly.
Well, ok, I here's how to explain it without getting too side tracked:
Protons and nuetrons stay together because they emit and exchange small particles called pions. This exchange process creates a very "stable" existence for them. Everything in physics wants to reach a "stable" point (or equilibrium). If you drop a pendulum, it will swing back and forth reaching a stable pattern. Just like this, this cycle of exchanging pions is a very stable state of being for the protons and neutrons They become dependent on the process and this attraction is even stronger than the electromagnetic repulsion between the protons. In fact, it is the stongest force in nature!
Wiki User
∙ 6y ago
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoThe strong nuclear force, or more accurately, the residual strong force, holds both protons and neutrons together in an atomic nucleus. This force is about 100 times stronger than the electromagnetic force at the nuclear level, but its effects diminish far more rapidly with distance than the electromagnetic force's effects do.
Wiki User
∙ 16y agoelectromagnetic force (find out more in answers.com)
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoThe force is called the "strong nuclear force." It is FAR stronger than the electro-static force, but operates only over a short distance.
Wiki User
∙ 8y agoThe strong force keeps the nucleus of an atom from breaking apart
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoIt's positive pullarity.
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
What fundamental force hold the subatomic particles together in the nucleus?
strong nuclear force
The most abundent isotope of lead contains 82 protons and 124 neutrons packed closely together in the nucleus why do the protons stay together in the nucleus rather than fly apart?
Protons stay together in the nucleus due to the strong nuclear force, otherwise known as binding energy. This force is the fundamental glue, so to speak, in everything. It overshadows the electromagnetic force by several orders of magnitude, so that the protons do not fly apart due to like charges repelling each other.
What is responsible for keeping electrons in orbit around the nucleus?
The positive charge of some components in the nucleus.
Which of the four fundamental forces holds the nucleus together?
Strong nuclear force
Why don't protons repel each other and explode the nucleus?
The protons in an atomic nucleus do repel each other, but they are held together by the Strong Nuclear Force, which is stronger than the electrical force that pushes them apart. Within the nucleus, the Strong Force is more than 100 times stronger than the electric force.
What fundamental force hold the subatomic particles together in the nucleus?
strong nuclear force
What fundamental force is the strongest?
The force binding the individual nucleons (neutrons and protons) together inside the nucleus of an atom. :)
What force makes the nucleus push itself apart?
There is the strong nuclear force that keeps the nucleus together, but then there is also the weak nuclear force that is responsible for the radioactive decay and is responsible for the fusion of hydrogen in stars. There is also the electromagnetic force that combats the strong force and attempts to push the nucleus apart, this is, however, unsuccessful.
The most abundent isotope of lead contains 82 protons and 124 neutrons packed closely together in the nucleus why do the protons stay together in the nucleus rather than fly apart?
Protons stay together in the nucleus due to the strong nuclear force, otherwise known as binding energy. This force is the fundamental glue, so to speak, in everything. It overshadows the electromagnetic force by several orders of magnitude, so that the protons do not fly apart due to like charges repelling each other.
Which of the four fundamental forces of nature is responsible for holding the atom's nucleus together?
the strong force
Which describes he forces in an unstable nucleus?
On the contrary, the main force in the nucleus keeps particles together. This is called the strong nuclear force, and it keeps similarly charged protons together, overcoming the electrostatic repulsion that would push them apart. If there was a strong force pushing particles apart, elements could not exist except hydrogen! You may possibly be thinking of radioactive decay, for example beta particles being ejected. This is due to a proton losing mass and becoming a neutron, the loss of mass transforming to energy and the balance of charge giving a negative particle.
The force between protons would do if there weren't neutrons in the nucleus?
Two main forces act in an atom, the electromagnetic force and the strong force. The electromagnetic force pulls the nucleus apart, while the strong force holds it together. Both neutrons and protons contribute to the strong force, but only protons contribute to the electromagnetic force. If an atom has too many protons and not enough neutrons, the electromagnetic force will overpower the strong force, and the nucleus will rip apart into more stable forms.
Why large amounts of energy needed to separate a nucleus?
The force binding the nucleus of an atom is the strongest fundamental force in nature. There are four fundamental forces in nature. These are the electromagnetic force gravity, the strong nuclear force, and the weak nuclear force. Of these, the strong nuclear force, which binds together the nucleons (neutrons and protons) of atoms, is by far the strongest. It is over 100 times as strong as the electromagnetic force, which, in turn, is far stronger than gravity or the weak nuclear force.
What would happen to an element if it didn't have nuclear strong force?
The nucleus would fly apart.
What prevents the electrons that orbit an atom's nucleus at high speeds from breaking away from the nucleus due to centrifugal force?
The electrons are attracted to the protons in the nucleus.
Which of the four fundamental forces of nature is responsible for joining atoms together to form molecules The weak force The strong force Gravity The electromagnetic force?
Which of the four fundamental forces of nature is responsible for binding quarks to one another?
Why do super heavy elements tend to break apart within a second?
The strong nuclear force, which holds atomic nuclei together, is an extremely short range force. It is stronger in the smaller nuclei, and it begins to fail as the nucleus gets too large. There is also a force of repulsion within a nucleus, which is the repulsion that protons exert on other protons because they have the same electrical charge, and this force is a longer range type of force than the strong nuclear force, so it will eventually tear the nucleus apart if the nucleus gets too large.
