(a) Plot a graph showing the variation of potential energy of a pair of nucleons as a function of their separation. Also indicate the regions where the force is (i) attractive and (ii) repulsive.
(b) Write two characteristic properties of nuclear force.
a)
In the graph,
For a separation greater than
, the force is attractive.
For a separation less than
, the force is strongly repulsive.
b) CHARACTERISTIC PROPERTIES OF NUCLEAR FORCE:
The nuclear force does not depend on the electric charge.
The nuclear force between two nucleons falls rapidly to zero as their distance is more than a few fermenters.
The nuclear force is much stronger than the Coulomb force acting between the charges or the gravitational forces between masses.