4.8 Extended Topic: The Four Basic Forces—An Introduction
Gravity, electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear forces, compared by relative strength, range, and carrier particle.
College Physics 2e, 4.8 Extended Topic: The Four Basic Forces—An Introduction
5 exercises
4.8 Exercise 1
Which phenomenon correctly describes the direction and magnitude of normal forces?
- electromagnetic attraction
- electromagnetic repulsion
- gravitational attraction
- gravitational repulsion
4.8 Exercise 3
Which of the basic forces best explains tension in a rope being pulled between two people? Is the acting force causing attraction or repulsion in this instance?
- gravity; attraction
- electromagnetic; attraction
- weak and strong nuclear; attraction
- weak and strong nuclear; repulsion
4.8 Exercise 5
The gravitational force is the weakest of the four basic forces. In which case can the electromagnetic, strong, and weak forces be ignored because the gravitational force is so strongly dominant?
- a person jumping on a trampoline
- a rocket blasting off from Earth
- a log rolling down a hill
- all of the above
4.8 Exercise 10
(a) What is the strength of the weak nuclear force relative to the strong nuclear force? (b) What is the strength of the weak nuclear force relative to the electromagnetic force? Since the weak nuclear force acts at only very short distances, such as inside nuclei, where the strong and electromagnetic forces also act, it might seem surprising that we have any knowledge of it at all. We have such k…
4.8 Exercise 12
What is the ratio of the strength of the strong nuclear force to that of the electromagnetic force? Based on this ratio, you might expect that the strong force dominates the nucleus, which is true for small nuclei. Large nuclei, however, have sizes greater than the range of the strong nuclear force. At these sizes, the electromagnetic force begins to affect nuclear stability. These facts will be u…
Adapted from College Physics © 2022 Rice University. Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Sources: College Physics 2e, College Physics for AP® Courses 2e. Imported at revision f98d7a7.