Shorter Range: Strong Nuclear or Weak Nuclear?

[geokilla]

So I have to determine whether strong nuclear force or weak nuclear force has a shorter range. We all basically agreed that it's either strong nuclear or weak nuclear, but they're all saying weak nuclear has the shortest range. What do you say?

The question:

Which of the following fundamental forces has the shortest range?

a. gravitational
b. electromagnetic
c. weak nuclear
d. strong nuclear
e. They have equal ranges.


Info from textbook:

"The strong nuclear force holds the protons and neutrons together, even though the protons are influenced by the electric force of repulsion. This nuclear force is a short-range force but is much stronger than the electromagnetic force. It is significant only when the particles are close together.

The weak nuclear force is responsible for the interactions involved. This type of force is noticed only at extremely small distances."

Weak Nuclear = less than 10^-18 m <-- Range
Strong Nuclear = less than 10^-15m <--- Range

 

[So]

well, if your numbers are right, then the weak nuclear force clearly acts at the shorter range....<confused>

 

[JohnCU]

Originally posted by: So
well, if your numbers are right, then the weak nuclear force clearly acts at the shorter range....<confused>

 

[slugg]

No, you're all wrong.

The strong nuclear force has the shortest range. Strong nuclear force binds nucleons together in an atom, thus limiting the range to the atom's nucleus. The reason why the range could be big is because you might have a large nucleus, like in the case of Uranium.

As weird as it is, strong force is several trillion times more powerful than weak force, yet it still has the shortest range.

Answer: d. strong nuclear

 

[ElFenix]

isn't it more correct to say that the falloff is much greater with one than the other?

 

[George P Burdell]

Do your own damned homework.

 

[JohnCU]

Originally posted by: slugg
No, you're all wrong.

The strong nuclear force has the shortest range. Strong nuclear force binds nucleons together in an atom, thus limiting the range to the atom's nucleus. The reason why the range could be big is because you might have a large nucleus, like in the case of Uranium.

As weird as it is, strong force is several trillion times more powerful than weak force, yet it still has the shortest range.

Answer: d. strong nuclear

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.g...ase/forces/funfor.html

that says its a million times more powerful than the weak force.

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: slugg
As weird as it is, strong force is several trillion times more powerful than weak force, yet it still has the shortest range.

1/2 right. If the strong force has a strength of 1, then the week force is 10^-6 in strength or something like that (not a trillion times more powerful, but a lot more powerful)

The strong force is basically a residual of the color force that holds the quarks together in protons & neutrons. the force required is gigantic, because it must overcome the repulsion of the like charged protons. the change particle is the pion (sp?), and the smallest particle that can leave a proton or neutron is a quark/anti-quark pair. That would put the range at about 10^-15 or about the diameter of a gold nucleus or something.

The weak force is based on the exchange of bosons (changing flavors of quarks), and have a mass of something like 100 gev. That means the uncertainty principle puts the effective range at about 1/100 the diameter of a proton. So the weak force has a range that is 1/1000 the effective range of the strong force.

 

[slugg]

Originally posted by: JohnCU

Originally posted by: slugg
No, you're all wrong.

The strong nuclear force has the shortest range. Strong nuclear force binds nucleons together in an atom, thus limiting the range to the atom's nucleus. The reason why the range could be big is because you might have a large nucleus, like in the case of Uranium.

As weird as it is, strong force is several trillion times more powerful than weak force, yet it still has the shortest range.

Answer: d. strong nuclear

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.g...ase/forces/funfor.html

that says its a million times more powerful than the weak force.

Hmm I learned this like 4+ years ago and have never used it since... so my memory could be off... but I'm almost positive that weak force is 10^-13 that of strong force. I'll find one of my books later and take a look if it's really that big of a deal.

Either way, the answer is still strong nuclear force

 

[geokilla]

All right then. I guess it's strong nuclear....but the range of weak nuclear is smaller than strong nuclear. Can anyone explain that in gr. 11 language? I had no idea what you guys were talking about when you said quarks and stuff.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[Toastedlightly]

well, define range. The forces technically have an infinite range, but the power becomes zero.

 

[ultimatebob]

Dammit... did I accidentally stumble into the Highly Technical forum again?

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Strong force experiences asymptotic freedom, so has a much shorter range. None of this has anything to do with the strength of the forces. The gravitational force is something like 10^-38 (number could be slightly wrong) times the strength of the strong force but has essentially infinite range.

 

[Iron Woode]

is nucular. the "S" is silent.

 

[geokilla]

Answer was weak nuclear. I WAS right. Damn influence from my friends.....=P.

Thanks anyways.

 

[JohnCU]

Originally posted by: slugg

Originally posted by: JohnCU

Originally posted by: slugg
No, you're all wrong.

The strong nuclear force has the shortest range. Strong nuclear force binds nucleons together in an atom, thus limiting the range to the atom's nucleus. The reason why the range could be big is because you might have a large nucleus, like in the case of Uranium.

As weird as it is, strong force is several trillion times more powerful than weak force, yet it still has the shortest range.

Answer: d. strong nuclear

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.g...ase/forces/funfor.html

that says its a million times more powerful than the weak force.

Hmm I learned this like 4+ years ago and have never used it since... so my memory could be off... but I'm almost positive that weak force is 10^-13 that of strong force. I'll find one of my books later and take a look if it's really that big of a deal.

Either way, the answer is still strong nuclear force

oo burn you was wrong