1.

(a) The density of the nuclear matter is tremendously larger than the physical density of the material. Explain. (b) The nuclear forces are not coulomb forces between nucleons. Explain. (c) Draw a plot of the potential energy between a pair of nucleons as a function of distance between them inside a nucleus.

Answer»


Solution :(a) The density of nuclear matter is approximately `2.3 xx 10^(17) kg m^(-3)` which is tremendously larger than the density of ordinary material, say water, which is `103 kg m^(-3)` . This is due to the fact that most of an atom is empty and its whole MASS is concentrated at its nucleus. Ordinary material, CONSISTING of atoms, has a large amount of empty space and consequently its density is small.
(b) Coulombian force between two protons is repulsive. However, within a nucleus a number of protons and neutrons EXIST together within a very small space. So it is clear that nuclear force is not coulomb force but is an EXTREMELY short range force which is attractive in nature and is responsible for maintaining all the nucleons together.

(c) The plot of POTENTIAL energy between a pair of nucleons as a fraction of function between them is drawn here.


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