Forces and Stability Flashcards
Electromagnetic Force
Protons always have a positive charge and when two positive charges are near each other they repel due to the electromagnetic force.
Strong Nuclear Force
Strong Nuclear Force is a force that acts over a short range, attracting protons and neutrons to each other in the nucleus. Within a nucleus, the electromagnetic repulsion is balanced by the attraction of the strong nuclear force, which acts between protons and neutrons.
Nuclear Stability
An atom is stable when it will remain as it is. An atom that is unstable will undergo a nuclear reaction so that it becomes stable. For an atom to be stable, there must be the right number of protons and neutrons to balance the electromagnetic and strong forces.
As atomic numbers increase, the number of neutrons required for stability increases. There are no stable atoms with atomic numbers greater than 82.
Nuclear Stability
An atom is stable when it will remain as it is. An atom that is unstable will undergo a nuclear reaction so that it becomes stable. For an atom to be stable, there must be the right number of protons and neutrons to balance the electromagnetic and strong forces.
