Strong Interaction

The strong interaction is one of the four fundamental forces in nature, responsible for holding the nuclei of atoms together. In the context of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), it describes how quarks (the building blocks of protons and neutrons) interact through the exchange of particles called gluons. Gluons are unique because they carry the "color charge" related to the strong force. This force is incredibly powerful but operates over very short distances—about the size of an atomic nucleus. Without the strong interaction, atoms could not exist, and matter as we know it would not be possible.