nuclear force

Examples of nuclear force in the following topics:

• Binding Energy and Nuclear Forces

  • Nuclear force is the force that is responsible for binding of protons and neutrons into atomic nuclei.
  • The nuclear force is the force between two or more component parts of an atomic nuclei.
  • Nuclear force is responsible for the binding of protons and neutrons into atomic nuclei.
  • The nuclear force is now understood as a residual effect of an even more powerful "strong force" or strong interaction.
  • These nuclear forces are very weak compared to direct gluon forces ("color forces" or "strong forces") inside nucleons, and the nuclear forces extend over only a few nuclear diameters, falling exponentially with distance.

• Nuclear Fusion

  • This force, called the strong nuclear force, overcomes electric repulsion in a very close range.
  • The effect of nuclear force is not observed outside the nucleus, hence the force has a strong dependence on distance; it a short-range force.
  • When a nucleon is added to a nucleus, the nuclear force attracts it to other nucleons, but primarily to its immediate neighbors due to the short range of the force.
  • At nucleus radii distances, the attractive nuclear force is stronger than the repulsive electrostatic force.
  • Describe the electrostatic and strong nuclear forces and how they act to oppose or promote a fusion reaction

• Nuclear Stability

  • An isotope's nuclear stability depends on the balance of electric and nuclear forces between its protons and neutrons and their arrangement.
  • In nuclear physics, stability of an atom's nucleus depends on the number of protons and neutrons it contains.
  • The protons, which are both positively charged, repel one another through electrostatic force.
  • This force is offset by the nuclear force, which attracts protons and neutrons.
  • This is because, for any constant number of protons, the difference between nuclear force and electrostatic repulsion of protons increases with increasing neutron count.

• Nuclear Fission

  • The strong nuclear force is the force between two or more nucleons.
  • These two forces produce opposite effects in the nucleus.
  • The strong nuclear force acts to hold all the protons and neutrons close together, while the electromagnetic force acts to push protons further apart.
  • In atoms with small nuclei, the strong nuclear force overpowers the electromagnetic force.
  • As the nucleus gets bigger, the electromagnetic force becomes greater than the strong nuclear force.

• Nuclear Weapons

  • The proliferation of nuclear weapons, explosive devices which derive force from nuclear reactions, is a key challenge of foreign policy.
  • The proliferation of nuclear weapons, explosive devices which derive their destructive force from nuclear reactions (either fission or a combination of fission and fusion), is an important challenge of foreign policy.
  • Because of the immense military power they can confer, the political control of nuclear weapons has been a key issue for as long as they have existed; in most countries the use of nuclear force can only be authorized by the head of government or head of state.
  • By the 1960s, steps were being taken to limit both the proliferation of nuclear weapons to other countries and the environmental effects of nuclear testing.
  • The Partial Test Ban Treaty (1963) restricted all nuclear testing to underground facilities, to prevent contamination from nuclear fallout, while the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (1968) attempted to place restrictions on the types of activities signatories could participate in, with the goal of allowing the transference of non-military nuclear technology to member countries without fear of proliferation.

• Nuclear Binding Energy and Mass Defect

  • This energy—available as nuclear energy—can be used to produce nuclear power or build nuclear weapons.
  • The rationale for this peak in binding energy is the interplay between the coulombic repulsion of the protons in the nucleus, because like charges repel each other, and the strong nuclear force, or strong force.
  • The strong force is what holds protons and neutrons together at short distances.
  • As the size of the nucleus increases, the strong nuclear force is only felt between nucleons that are close together, while the coulombic repulsion continues to be felt throughout the nucleus; this leads to instability and hence the radioactivity and fissile nature of the heavier elements.
  • Calculate the mass defect and nuclear binding energy of an atom

• Nuclear Weapons

  • A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions—either fission, fusion, or a combination.
  • A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion.
  • A modern thermonuclear weapon weighing little more than 2,400 pounds (1,100 kg) can produce an explosive force comparable to the detonation of more than 1.2 million tons (1.1 million tonnes) of TNT.
  • In addition, it is also widely believed that Israel possesses nuclear weapons (though they have not admitted to it).
  • The first nuclear weapons were gravity bombs, such as this "Fat Man" weapon dropped on Nagasaki, Japan.

• Nuclear Fusion

  • In nuclear fusion two or more atomic nuclei collide at very high speed and join, forming a new nucleus.
  • Nuclear fusion is a nuclear reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei collide at very high speed and join to form a new type of atomic nucleus.
  • It takes considerable energy to force nuclei to fuse, even nuclei of the lightest element, hydrogen.
  • Accelerated to high speeds, they can overcome this electrostatic repulsion and be forced close enough for the attractive nuclear force to be sufficiently strong to achieve fusion.
  • Analyze possibility of the use of nuclear fusion for the production of electricity.

• The Effects of the Cold War

  • Moreover, other nations not previously acknowledged as nuclear-weapons states have developed and tested nuclear-explosive devices.
  • Because of the potential risk to national and international security, states with nuclear weapons have inherited substantial responsibilities in protecting and stabilizing their nuclear forces.
  • Not only must nuclear weapons and their delivery systems be secured and protected, other nuclear facilities and devices, such as reactors and propulsion systems, must be safeguarded.
  • Aside from tangible measures of national defense, such as standing military and security forces and hardware, are various institutional structures of government and functionality that have less to do directly with military or security factors, but more to do with underlying public attitudes and risks.
  • Peaceful applications of nuclear energy received a stigma still difficult to exorcize.

• The Cold War's Costs and Consequences

  • In the wake of the Cold War, nations freed from colonial forces and newly founded nations inherited expenses, commitments, and resources for which they were not prepared.
  • Many specific nuclear legacies can be identified from the Cold War.
  • Moreover, other nations not previously acknowledged as nuclear-weapons states have developed and tested nuclear-explosive devices.
  • Because of potential risk to national and international security, nuclear-weapons states have inherited substantial responsibilities in protecting and stabilizing their nuclear forces.
  • Risks of deliberate, accidental, or unauthorized nuclear devastation remain.