Understanding the Strong Nuclear Force

Thursday - May 4 2023, 17:53 UTC - 1 year ago

The strong nuclear force is one of the four fundamental forces in the Standard Model of particle physics, and it is responsible for the stability of the atomic nucleus. It binds together the quarks that make up protons and neutrons and binds the atomic nucleus, allowing elements other than primordial hydrogen to form. The strong force is incredibly strong, even when compared to the force of gravity, and its residual force is responsible for holding the nucleus of an atom together despite the repulsive force of the protons' positive electric charge, allowing for the formation of elements and molecules.

Like the other three fundamental forces in nature (the weak nuclear force, the electromagnetic force, and gravity), the strong nuclear force is an essential component of how the universe is shaped and composed, and it's been a part of the universe longer than matter itself.

Suppose you've ever looked at an atomic model with a nucleus of more than a single proton. In that case, you might have asked yourself how more than one positively charged proton in a nucleus could clump together when two positive electromagnetic charges should repel each other. You definitely aren't alone in asking.

If we want a universe with elements other than hydrogen, this quintessential problem of a positively charged nucleus needs to be resolved, and the strong nuclear force is how the universe does so, though it's only been in the past century that we've come to recognize its existence and its importance.

--- What is the strong nuclear force? --- .

The strong nuclear force is one of the four fundamental forces in the Standard Model of particle physics, and it is responsible for the stability of the atomic nucleus. It holds together the quarks that make up protons and neutrons and bind together the atomic nucleus, allowing elements more complex than primordial hydrogen to form.

As everyone knows, electromagnetism is responsible for opposite electric charges attracting one another but it is also what drives like charges apart, often with considerable energy. To overcome the force of electromagnetism pushing protons apart in the atomic nucleus, there needs to be an even stronger force binding them together, which is what the strong nuclear force does.

At its most basic level, matter is composed of elementary particles, such as quarks and leptons. Quarks are the building blocks of protons and neutrons, which are the building blocks of atomic nuclei. The strong nuclear force is responsible for holding these particles together, allowing them to form the structures that make up the matter around us.

The strong nuclear force is carried by particles called gluons, which interact with the quarks within the nucleons. The interaction between gluons and quarks is what gives protons and neutrons their mass, and allows them to bind together to form atomic nuclei.

Without the strong nuclear force, the protons and neutrons in atomic nuclei would repel each other due to their positive charges, and the nuclei would break apart. This would prevent the formation of atoms, and so the strong force is essential to the formation of all matter as we know it.

--- What is the residual strong force? --- .

While the strong nuclear force is mainly a function of the interactions between quarks inside a nucleon (a proton or neutron), the extent of its range is somewhat greater than the radius of a proton or neutron. Again, this can't be emphasized enough, it is a very strong force — about 1039 times stronger than the force of gravity — and it's this residual force that is responsible for holding the nucleus of an atom together despite the repulsive foce of the protons' positive electric charge.

This ensures that elements like helium, carbon, and oxygen, which all have more than a single proton in their nucleii, stay in one piece and can form molecules, which are the basic building blocks of chemistry and life itself.