Nuclear force

Nuclear force, also known as the strong nuclear force, is the powerful attraction that holds protons and neutrons together in an atomic nucleus. Unlike the electromagnetic force (which causes like charges to repel), the nuclear force is strong enough to overcome the repulsion between positively charged protons. It acts at very short distances, typically about the size of an atomic nucleus, and is crucial for the stability of atoms. Without this force, atomic nuclei would disintegrate, making matter as we know it impossible. This force operates through particles called gluons, which bind quarks together, the building blocks of protons and neutrons.