Know About the Nuclear Force

We have heard about the construction and destruction activities caused by nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. Even though nuclear weapons are used to cause explosions and are used for destruction. Nuclear energy is used in all major sectors like food, agriculture, medicine, art, mining, cosmology, and electricity. Nuclear energy deals with the potential energy that is present in the nucleus of an atom. The neutrons and protons that are present in the nucleus are held together by a strong nuclear force. The force that acts between the protons, as well as neutrons of atoms, is known as nuclear force.

Fission and fusion are types of nuclear reactions that we hear normally. A nuclear fission reaction is the type of reaction where the nucleus of an atom splits into two or many smaller nuclei. This reaction involves the production of enormous energy. In the nuclear fusion reaction, atomic nuclei are combined to form different atomic nuclei and subatomic particles. Let us know more about these reactions as well as the science involved.

Study of Atomic Nucleus and its Interactions

Physics is a vast field that includes many branches. One such branch of Physics that deals with the structure of the atomic nucleus and its interactions is known as Nuclear Physics. . This branch of Physics investigates the complete structure of nuclei and deals with their formation. It is also concerned with the stability of the nuclei. Nuclear physics studies the interactions that take place between neutrons and protons. Nuclear physics directly depends on nuclear forces. The nature of nuclear force is given as:

• Nuclear forces are attractive and depend on charges.
• The nuclear force is a short-range force that is dependent on the spin.
• Nuclear force becomes weak when the distance between two nucleons reduces.

Nuclear physics is applied in power generation using nuclear energy. It is also used in the medical field in radiation therapy, where ionizing radiation is used to cure thyroid cancer. Nuclear physics is also used in fields like archaeology where nuclear solutions are used to identify various stable and radioactive isotopes and hence discover the history of artefacts.

The phenomenon of splitting the nucleus to produce energy is called a nuclear fission reaction. The process in which two neutrons fuse together to produce energy is referred to as a nuclear fusion reaction. Let us know about nuclear fusion in detail.

Fusion Reaction

Nuclear fusion reactions produce energy and do not contribute to pollution. It produces less nuclear waste comparatively. The supergiant star – the Sun, produces energy due to nuclear fusion reactions. Other small stars also produce energy using this process. The pressure created in the core of the sun or other stars is extremely high. The temperature at the sun’s core is around 15 million degrees Celsius. The mass accounted for by the nuclear binding energy is released in accordance with the equation e = mc2. Note: The units of radioactivity are Curie (Ci) and Rutherford (rd).