What is the force that holds atoms together in a substance?

Answer 1

Metal atoms are held together by strong Electrostatic forces that make metals typically strong and solid. Non metals are held together by ether Covalent bonds between two non metals, Ionic bonds between a metal and a non metal.

Answer 2

Nuclear force hold atoms together

New author- ...that's a poor answer. Actually there are four forces that holds an atom together.

1. gravitaional force(gravity... we all learned it, even though a nucleus has little mass it is very dense, if the nucleus[not the atom] was the size of a grape then it would weigh 9 tons)

2. electromagnetic force (protons=postive charge, electons=negitive charge, opposites attract.

3. strong force (uncreative name huh? Anyway since protons are positively charged they should repel each other, but strong force which is created by nutrons hold it together. Without nutrons atoms with 2+protons can't exist.[maby that's why hydrogen is the most abundent element in the universe!])

4. Weak force (this is a tough one to describe, text books only say that it is involved in radioactivity etc. etc., I've been trying to research this but not much information is avadable. I'm guessing that scientists have discovered this by finding that the force required to hold atoms together vs discovered forces don't weigh out by a tiny bit.

I don't know what this means but if you can read it it may hold the answer:

(Weak force)Meaning #1: (physics) an interaction between elementary particles involving neutrinos or antineutrinos that is responsible for certain kinds of radioactive decay; mediated by intermediate vector bosons

Answer 3

The force that holds atoms together in a substance is called a chemical bond. This bond is formed when atoms share or transfer electrons in order to achieve a more stable configuration. The type of chemical bond formed depends on the difference in electronegativity between the atoms involved.