Strong Nuclear Force and Electrostatic Force

In summary, the conversation discusses the two forces present in the nucleus, the nuclear force and the electrostatic force. As the size of the nucleus increases, the electrostatic force becomes dominant and causes larger atoms to break down into smaller ones. This is due to the inverse square law of the electrostatic force, which falls off faster than the exponential over square law of the strong nuclear force. The weak force is responsible for nuclear decay and may counter the strong nuclear force with the increasing electrostatic potential. The saturation property of the strong force, which only acts on nearby nucleons, is also mentioned as a factor in the instability of very large-mass nuclei.
  • #1
garytse86
311
0
there are two forces, the nuclear force which binds protons and neutrons together. However as the size of the nucleus gets larger the electrostatic force of repulsion in the nucleus overcomes the strong nuclear force. so larger atoms breakdown to form smaller atoms, why does the electrostatic force dominate the strong nuclear force. Yes, the electrostatic force will increase in strength because of the increasing number of protons, but surely wouldn't the strength of strong nuclear force increase as well?
 
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  • #2
I'm not sure if this is the entire answer, but the electromagnetic force obeys an inverse square law, while the (derived, i.e. between nucleons) strong force falls off like an exponential over square law. In other words the latter falls off faster.
 
  • #3
It is the weak force that is responsible for nuclear decay. The weak force may increase as an atom increases in proton or neutron number in a fashion that, put together with the growing electro-magnetic potential, counters the exponential potential of the residual strong force. This necessitates nuclear decay.
 
  • #4
There are several types of nuclear decay. The weak force is related to beta emission (neutron becomes proton). Other types of decay, which are related to the strong force, are alpha emission (He4 nucleus emitted) and spontaneous fission (very heavy nucleus breaks up into at least two smaller nuclei and several neutrons). I believe the original question (strong force versus electromagnetic) had to do with the latter.
 
  • #5
To answer the original question, nuclear force has a property of "saturation" related to the short-range nature of it mentioned earlier (classical analogy: if you have many marbles in a sack and ask a question how many marbles will any given marble touch at one time, the answer will always be the same -- only the once in its visinity, regardless how many marbles are in there). In other words, due to saturation, strong force acts on nearby nucleons only, while electromagnetic force grows with addition of new protons leading to the instability of very large-mass nuclei.
 
  • #6
Yes, this is due to the short life-time (and hence short range) of pions which mediate between nucleons. The residual strong force potential drops off very quickly between nucleons at increasing distances.
 

1. What is the difference between strong nuclear force and electrostatic force?

Strong nuclear force is a fundamental force that holds the nucleus of an atom together, while electrostatic force is a force of attraction or repulsion between electrically charged particles.

2. How do strong nuclear force and electrostatic force interact with each other?

The strong nuclear force is much stronger than the electrostatic force, but it only acts over very short distances within the nucleus. The electrostatic force, on the other hand, can act over longer distances and can overcome the strong nuclear force between particles with opposite charges.

3. Can strong nuclear force and electrostatic force be observed in everyday life?

No, these forces are only observed at the atomic and subatomic level. They are not noticeable in everyday life due to their short range and the fact that they are only significant when dealing with very small particles.

4. How do strong nuclear force and electrostatic force affect the stability of atoms?

The strong nuclear force holds the positively charged protons together in the nucleus, while the electrostatic force between the positively charged protons and negatively charged electrons keeps the electrons in orbit around the nucleus. Without these forces, atoms would not be able to exist in their stable form.

5. Can the strength of strong nuclear force and electrostatic force be altered?

The strength of these forces is determined by fundamental physical constants and cannot be altered. However, the strength of the electrostatic force can be influenced by adding or removing electrons, while the strong nuclear force is only affected by the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus.

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