Nuclear Force

What is Nuclear Force

The nuclear force is the force between the particles in the nucleus of an atom. It can be between two protons, two neutrons, or between a proton and a neutron. The nuclear force is attractive. It binds the protons and neutrons together and is responsible for the stability of the nucleus. It is a short-range force with a range of the order of the proton dimension, which falls off to zero at a specific distance.

The nuclear force is spin-dependent. However, it is charge-independent, which means that the forces between two protons, two neutrons, and a proton and a neutron are approximately the same when the electromagnetic forces are ignored.

Properties of Nuclear Force

Here are some facts and characteristics of the nuclear force.

Classified into strong nuclear force and weak nuclear force
Occurs between nucleons, like protons and neutrons
Short-range and finite (of the order of proton dimension)
Strong nuclear force that is powerful than the electric force by 137 times
It does not affect the physical and chemical properties of a substance
Detected through nuclear reactions and radioactivity
Dependent on the spin of the particles

Types: Strong and Weak Nuclear Forces

The nuclear force can be classified into two types.

1. Strong Nuclear Force: The attractive force ensures the nucleus’s unity by holding all fundamental particles like protons, neutrons, and quarks together. The force is responsible for alpha radiation.

2. Weak Nuclear Force: The force that acts inside the individual nucleons and occasionally leads to a neutron transforming into a proton and vice versa. This force is commonly observed during beta decay.

How are the strong and weak nuclear forces alike?

Both the strong and the weak nuclear forces are present inside the nucleus of an atom. Both of them act on the quarks that make up the protons and neutrons. They have a short, finite range and are more powerful than gravity.

Strong vs. Weak Nuclear Force

The following table lists the differences between the strong and weak forces.

	Strong Nuclear Force	Weak Nuclear Force
Definition	The attractive force between fundamental particles that make up a nucleus	The force that changes a neutron into a proton during radioactive decay of specific nuclei
Responsible for	Holding the quarks together in the baryons; and protons and neutrons in a nucleus	Radioactive decay and nucleosynthesis
Relative Strength	1	10^-6
Range	10^-15 m	10^-18 m
Force carriers	Gluons	W and Z bosons
Described by	Quantum chromodynamics	Quantum flavordynamics
Examples	The force between a neutron and a proton	Beta-decay of uranium-235

Applications of Nuclear Force

Here are some of the applications of the nuclear force.

Nuclear power plant
Nuclear weapons
Advanced medical diagnosis and treatment
Radiocarbon dating (determines the age of the organic materials from carbon isotope abundances)
Determine the age of the Earth
Responsible for the existence of the Sun

Difference between Gravitational Force and Nuclear Force

	Gravitational Force	Nuclear Force
Occurs between	Astronomical objects	Fundamental particles
Takes place in	Space	Nucleus of an atom
Range	Infinite	Short-range
Strength	Weaker than the nuclear force	Stronger than the gravitational force