Nuclear Force

The nuclear force are of two types the strong interaction and the weak interaction, they are both greater than gravitational and electrostatic (coulomb’s) force.

A strong nuclear interaction is the force that overcome the electrostatic force of repulsion between the positively protons in the nucleus of an atom.  The force that bind the protons and neutrons together to form the nucleus of the atom. Nucleus of any atom (except hydrogen with only one proton and zero neutron) contain a positively charged protons and a neutral protons, the protons as positive charge entities must exact some repulsive forces according to coulombs law, like charges attracts while unlike charges repels. But this does not happen why? If so then there must be a very strong force, greater than the coulomb’s force (repulsive force), capable of not only overcoming the repulsion between the protons but also binding the entire nucleons into a cluster called nucleus.

The strong nuclear force is the force that can overcome the repulsive force between the protons in the nucleus of an atom, this force is a short range force , only occur within inter-nuclear distance, which is not more than the diameter of the nucleus. At any distance larger than the inter-nuclear distance, this force will disappear.

This force is neither attractive no repulsive, as the positively charged protons cannot be said to be attractive and it is neither gravitational force, the nature of this nuclear force is still under investigation.

This force occurs as a result of exchange of pi-mesons between the nucleons. The intermediate particle is the pi-mesons, the force 10³⁷  times greater than gravitational force and 10¹³  times greater than  the weak nuclear force (interaction)  and its occur at this of 10^-15m .

To split a nuclei, this force must be overcome so that the coulomb’s force will take effect, the nucleus is positively charged because of the presence of protons, this is why it is easier for a neutron to penetrate a nuclei and than a proton, because the neutrons has no charge and will not feel the coulomb’s repulsive force unlike proton that is positive. For a particle to penetrate nuclei it must move at a very high speed which means it be at a very temperature or subjected to very high pressure.

Energy release from nuclei reaction, fission, can be harnessed and used for generation of electricity, this is done with use of nuclear reactors through a continuous chain of reactions, heat obtained are used for turning turbine to generate electricity.