Are the strong and weak nuclear forces realistic?
1 Answer
That depends on what you mean by "realistic"! Certainly we have several familiar effects that lacked any clear explanation until the nature of these forces were described.
Explanation:
Certainly these two forces are as "real" as either electromagnetism or gravity. Indeed, the theory describing the strong nuclear force (called quantum chromodynamics, QCD) is possibly the most self-consistent theory in all of Physics. The fact that its nature seems at first sight to be strange (unfamiliar) should not be taken as an indication that it is not realistic. At one time or other, every great idea of Physics would have seemed unrealistic to these not familiar with it.
I don't know if this is the type of answer you were after. If you wanted a description of what these forces are like, I suggest you repost the question, and we'll see what we can do!
