Nuclear force is a ________ and _______ force.

Options

A. Strong, long-range
B. Strong, short range
C. Weak, long-range
D. Weak, short-range

Explanation

To answer the question "Nuclear force is a ________ and _______ force," we can break it down into two parts based on the characteristics of nuclear forces.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Nature of Nuclear Forces:**
- Nuclear forces are the forces that hold the protons and neutrons together in the nucleus of an atom.

2. **Determine the Strength of Nuclear Forces:**
- Nuclear forces are known to be the strongest forces in nature. They are much stronger than electromagnetic forces, gravitational forces, and weak nuclear forces.

3. **Assess the Range of Nuclear Forces:**
- While nuclear forces are very strong, they are not long-range forces. They only act over very short distances, typically on the order of a few femtometers (10^-15 meters), which is roughly the size of a nucleus. Beyond this range, the nuclear force rapidly decreases and becomes negligible.

4. **Conclude the Characteristics:**
- Based on the above analysis, we can conclude that nuclear forces are "strong" due to their ability to overcome the repulsive electromagnetic force between protons, and they are "short-range" because they only operate effectively within the confines of the atomic nucleus.

### Final Answer:
Nuclear force is a **strong** and **short-range** force.

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