the particles in a nucleus are held together primarily by the ?
gluons. There are eight types (color combinations) of gluons.
The particles in a nucleus are held together primarily by the strong nuclear force. The strong nuclear force is one of the four fundamental forces in nature, along with gravity, electromagnetism, and the weak nuclear force. It is responsible for binding the protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom.
Now, let me explain how scientists discovered the strong nuclear force and how they determined that it is responsible for holding the particles in a nucleus together.
In the early 20th century, physicists discovered that the nucleus of an atom contains positively charged protons and neutral neutrons. However, according to classical electromagnetic theory, like charges repel each other, so the protons in the nucleus should repel each other and cause the nucleus to fly apart.
This contradiction led to the development of quantum mechanics, a branch of physics that describes the behavior of particles at the atomic and subatomic levels. Within quantum mechanics, scientists introduced the concept of the strong nuclear force, which attracts protons and neutrons together and overcomes the repulsive electromagnetic forces between protons.
Experimental evidence supporting the existence of the strong nuclear force came from studying the behavior of particles in accelerators and particle collisions. By analyzing the scattering patterns and energies of particles, physicists could infer the strength and range of the strong force.
Since the strong nuclear force only acts at very short distances within the nucleus, it is much stronger than the electromagnetic force over these distances. Thus, it is this strong force that holds the particles in the nucleus tightly together, counteracting the electromagnetic repulsion between the positively charged protons.
I hope this explanation helps clarify how scientists discovered the strong nuclear force and its role in holding the particles in a nucleus together.