Describe how the strong nuclear force between two nucleons varies with the separation of the nucleons, quoting suitable values for separation.

The strong nuclear force is repulsive for nucleon separations less than 0.5 femtometres but doesn't act at roughly 1 femtometre. It becomes attractive between 1 femtometre and 3-4 femtometres, afterwhich it is non existent due to its range being less than this.

Answered by Physics tutor

3933 Views

See similar Physics A Level tutors

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

Assuming the Earth is a perfect sphere of radius R. By how much would your mass (m), as given by a scale, change if you measured it on the north pole and on the equator?


What is the difference between a vector and a scalar quantity?


How come nuclei become more unstable the bigger they are?


Ignoring air resistance, use an energy argument to find the speed of a ball when it hits the ground if it is dropped from 50m, where m is the mass of the ball.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning