Suppose you put two protons near each other. Because of the electromagnetic force, the two protons will?

Question

remain stationary.
repel each other.
collide.
join together to form a nucleus.
attract each other.

Answer 1

Repel.

Answer 2

Hi Astro 2

The key to answering this question is scale. On the bare face of it, the two protons are subject to the following three forces:
* gravity - attracting them together
* electromagnetism - repelling each other apart
* the strong nuclear force - which might attract or repel them, depending on how close they are

Each one of these forces is strong enough to dominate the other two at a particular scale, this is why scale is some important. Lets consider each in turn:

i) If the two protons are in free space and at separation greater than nuclear distances (greater than about 10^-15m) then electrodynamic repulsion dominates and the protons move apart.
ii) If the two protons are within the short range of the strong force (ie within nuclear range) then the residual strong force dominates and the protons smack together, emitting a positron and forming a deuterium nucleus.
iii) If the two protons are compressed to high nuclear densities then the interior quark dynamics starts to make the protons repel each other again.
iv) If the two protons are in the iron core of a collapsing massive star then their future is going to be dominated by gravity. Gravity could be strong enough to overcome their electrodynamic repulsion, overcome any degenerate gas pressure, even overcome the finally repulsive strong force and crush the protons into the centre of a black hole.


Hope this helps!
The Chicken

Answer 3

The two protons have like electric charge (+) and would normally repel each other.

In the nucleus of an atom, the protons are held together by the more powerful strong force.

Answer 4

The name of the force that holds the protons of an atom together is called atomic force. In the absence of this force the protons will repel. Atomic force is an unknown phenominon that exists only in atoms

Answer 5

well, it would take both protons and neutrons to form a nucleus, so that one is wrong.

Trying to answer question 33 on the test I see.

They're charged alike, so they won't attract. If you just 'put them near' they aren't moving so they shouldn't collide...you should be able to take it from there.

Answer 6

repel each other