Describe how the strong nuclear force between nucleons varies with seperation of the nucleons.

At short distances between the nucleons at roughly 3 femtometers or so, the strong nuclear force between two nucleons begins to overcome the electrostatic repulsion (if both or one nucleon is a proton). The strong force then becomes it's strongest at roughly 1.5 femtometers, hence meaning that is the typical seperation between two nucleons. At even shorter distances than that the force then starts to become a repulsive force at roughly 0.2 femtometers or so, this is to prevent the nucleons from colliding into a singlarity. 

RW

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

Can you jump a motorcycle into space?


Explain why an object moving around a circle is said to be accelerating when it has no resultant force acting upon it.


A nucleus of the stable isotope Pb(208,82) has more neutrons than protons. Explain why there is this imbalance between proton and neutron numbers by referring to the forces that operate within the nucleus.


In one second a mass of 210 kg of air enters at A. The speed of this mass of air increases by 570 m s–1 as it passes through the engine. Calculate the force that the air exerts on the engine.