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Nuclear force is acting between

Asked in GSEB Board March 2022 · Binding energy curve and nuclear force

Answer: (4) all the nucleons

Step-by-step solution

Idea: the nuclear force is whatever holds a nucleus together, and a nucleus is made of nucleons — protons and neutrons alike.

It is charge-independent: for a given separation the attraction between two protons, between a proton and a neutron, and between two neutrons is essentially the same.

It is also short-ranged, reaching only a few femtometres, and at those distances it is far stronger than the Coulomb repulsion.

So it acts between all the nucleons, not between one particular pair.

Why the other options are wrong

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