The force that holds protons and neutrons together in a nucleus is
- A. the electrostatic force
- B. the gravitational force
- C. the strong nuclear force, which is short ranged and attractive
- D. the magnetic force
Explanation
The strong force acts over only a few femtometres but is far stronger than the electrostatic repulsion between protons at that range, which is what keeps the nucleus bound. Because it is so short ranged, very large nuclei become unstable as the repulsion, which has unlimited range, begins to win. Gravity is utterly negligible at nuclear scales.