How does the strong interaction force differ from the electrical force?
2 Answers
Both can be attractive or repulsive, but there the similarity ends.
Explanation:
I'll assume you have already studied enough about the electrical force (Coulomb's law and the exchange of (virtual) photons) to use that as a comparison.
Firstly, the strong force is attractive between nucleons after about 0.6 or 0.7 fm (1 fm = 1 x
Secondly, the strong force is mediated by gluons within a baryon and by mesons between free baryons. Weird, but I'm assured it is as near the truth as my mind can handle.
Thirdly, it is strong, very strong indeed. As an order of magnitude estimate it is a couple of hundred times stronger than the e-m force, a million times stronger than the weak force and
Hope that helps :)
The strong and electromagnetic forces act on different particles.
Explanation:
The electromagnetic force acts on charged particles. It causes like charges to repel each other and opposite charges to attract each other. Moving charges generate magnetic fields. The electromagnetic force is mediated by the photon. It has a long range. All protons in a nucleus try to repel each other.
The strong nuclear force binds adjacent protons and neutrons together in a nucleus. It is called strong because it has to overcome the electromagnetic force which is trying to cause all protons to repel each other.
The strong nuclear force doesn't actually exist. It is usually referred to as the residual strong force. It is in fact a residual effect of the colour force which binds quarks to form mesons and baryons. It is mediated by gluons.
