AQA A-Level Physics/Particles and Anti-particles/Forces

< AQA A-Level Physics < Particles and Anti-particles

You may have learnt that there are many different types of forces such as friction and tension. However only four fundamental forces are at a basic level responsible for all interactions in the universe.

Strong Nuclear Force

This type of force is only experienced by hadrons (baryons with 3 quarks). The exchange particles for this force are gluons. This force is responsible for keeping the protons and neutrons in a atomic nucleus together.

Weak Nuclear Force

This type of force is experienced by both baryons and leptons. The exchange particle for this type of force is the W or the K boson. This force is responsible for decay interactions (such as beta decay) and interactions where strangeness is not conserved or where quarks change flavour (or type).

Electromagnetic Force

This type of force is experienced by particles which are charged (such as electrons and protons). The exchange particle for this type of force is the virtual photon. This force is responsible for the repulsion of two electrons and attraction of a electron to a proton.

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