The strong force keeps also the protons together in the nucleus, despite their mutual
electrostatic repulsion.
Contemporary Physics Education Project
The Nuclear Force
The protons in the nucleus of an atom are positively charged. If protons
interact, they are usually repelled (pushed apart)
by the electromagnetic force. However, when two or more nuclei come very
close together (on the order of 1 femto-meter (fm) =10-15 meters),
their interaction becomes dominated by another force, the nuclear force, whose intensity is much higher (about 100 times) than the
electromagnetic (repulsive) force.
The nuclear force is also known as the strong force or the color force.
This is one of the four
fundamental forces
that govern all the interactions in the Universe.
The nuclear force keeps together the most fundamental of
elementary particles known, the
quarks,
which combine
to form the protons and neutrons in the atomic nucleus.
The nuclear force also keeps the protons together in the nucleus,
despite their mutual electrostatic repulsion.
Beyond the distance of 1 fm the nuclear force decreases sharply, becoming
practically negligible.
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