Protons are positively charged and repel other protons. Which other particle is found in the nucleus and separates protons so that the strong force can hold the nucleus together?
A) electrons
B) neutrons
C) protons
D) quarks
please help cause i'm genuinely confused; if possible, please explain.
it's b) neutrons
The following paragraph is hugely plagiarized
The nucleus of an atom is made by two types of particles: protons and neutrons. Protons are positively charged particles, therefore they exert an electrostatic force on each other. In particular, since two protons have same-sign charge, the electrostatic force between them is repulsive. This means that all the protons within a nucleus repel each other: without the presence of another force, a nucleus would disgregate. However, there is another type of particle in the nucleus: the neutron. Neutrons are electrically neutral, so they do not exert any electrostatic force on protons or on each other. But both types of particles (protons and neutrons) exert on each other another force, which is called strong nuclear force. This force is attractive, so that protons and neutrons attract each other inside the nucleus, and the nucleus does not disgregate.
i dont know mrs sue
The other particle found in the nucleus that separates protons and allows the strong force to hold the nucleus together is the neutron, which is option B.
To understand why neutrons play this role, let's break it down:
1. Protons are positively charged particles found in the nucleus of an atom. Since like charges repel each other, protons would repel one another if not for another force holding them together.
2. The strong force, also known as the strong nuclear force, is one of the fundamental forces of nature. It is responsible for holding the atomic nucleus together even though the protons, which have positive charges, repel each other.
3. Neutrons are particles found in the nucleus alongside protons. Unlike protons, they are electrically neutral, meaning they have no charge. Neutrons do not repel each other due to their neutrality, and they are also affected by the strong force.
So, it is the presence of neutrons that helps to separate protons and prevent their repulsion. Neutrons act as "buffers" between the protons, reducing the electrostatic repulsion between them, allowing the strong force to dominate and keep the nucleus stable.
Therefore, the correct answer to your question is B) neutrons.