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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Force | 11/11 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Force | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T09:33:04.607426+00:00 | kb-cron |
=== Electromagnetic === Maxwell's equations and the set of techniques built around them adequately describe a wide range of physics involving force in electricity and magnetism. This classical theory already includes relativity effects. Understanding quantized electromagnetic interactions between elementary particles requires quantum electrodynamics (QED). In QED, photons are fundamental exchange particles, describing all interactions relating to electromagnetism including the electromagnetic force.
=== Strong nuclear ===
There are two "nuclear forces", which today are usually described as interactions that take place in quantum theories of particle physics. The strong nuclear force is the force responsible for the structural integrity of atomic nuclei, and gains its name from its ability to overpower the electromagnetic repulsion between protons. The strong force is today understood to represent the interactions between quarks and gluons as detailed by the theory of quantum chromodynamics (QCD). The strong force is the fundamental force mediated by gluons, acting upon quarks, antiquarks, and the gluons themselves. The strong force only acts directly upon elementary particles. A residual is observed between hadrons (notably, the nucleons in atomic nuclei), known as the nuclear force. Here the strong force acts indirectly, transmitted as gluons that form part of the virtual pi and rho mesons, the classical transmitters of the nuclear force. The failure of many searches for free quarks has shown that the elementary particles affected are not directly observable. This phenomenon is called color confinement.
=== Weak nuclear ===
Unique among the fundamental interactions, the weak nuclear force creates no bound states. The weak force is due to the exchange of the heavy W and Z bosons. Since the weak force is mediated by two types of bosons, it can be divided into two types of interaction or "vertices" — charged current, involving the electrically charged W+ and W− bosons, and neutral current, involving electrically neutral Z0 bosons. The most familiar effect of weak interaction is beta decay (of neutrons in atomic nuclei) and the associated radioactivity. This is a type of charged-current interaction. The word "weak" derives from the fact that the field strength is some 1013 times less than that of the strong force. Still, it is stronger than gravity over short distances. A consistent electroweak theory has also been developed, which shows that electromagnetic forces and the weak force are indistinguishable at a temperatures in excess of approximately 1015 K. Such temperatures occurred in the plasma collisions in the early moments of the Big Bang.
== See also ==
Contact force – Force between two objects that are in physical contact Force control – Aspect of robotics Force gauge – Instrument for measuring force Orders of magnitude (force) – Comparison of a wide range of physical forces Parallel force system – Situation in mechanical engineering Rigid body – Physical object which does not deform when forces or moments are exerted on it Specific force – Concept in physics
== References ==
== External links ==
"Classical Mechanics, Week 2: Newton's Laws". MIT OpenCourseWare. Retrieved 2023-08-09. "Fundamentals of Physics I, Lecture 3: Newton's Laws of Motion". Open Yale Courses. Retrieved 2023-08-09.