The basic forces in nature
Contemporary Physics Education Project
Fundamental Forces
The interactions in the Universe are governed by four forces (strong, weak, electromagnetic and gravitational).
Physicists are trying to find one theory that would describe all
the forces in nature as a single law.
So far they have succeeded in producing a single theory that describes
the weak and electromagnetic forces (called electroweak force). The strong and gravitational forces are not yet described by this theory.
FUNDAMENTAL FORCES
| Interaction |
Relative Strength |
Range |
Mediating Particle |
|
| Strong |
1 |
Short |
Gluon |
|
| Electromagnetic |
0.0073 |
Long |
Photon |
|
| Weak |
10-9 |
Very Short |
W,Z |
|
| Gravitational |
10-38 |
Long |
Graviton |
|
Table courtesy of University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario (Cananda)
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