Identify the correct statements among the following:
(A) The gravitational force is much stronger than the Coulomb force.
(B) The nuclear force between two nucleons falls rapidly to zero as their distance is more than a few femtometers.
(C) The nuclear force depends on the electric charge.
(D) The nuclear force is much stronger than the coulomb force.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → (B) and (D) only
(A) The gravitational force is much stronger than the Coulomb force. — Incorrect. Gravity is far weaker: between two protons it is smaller than the Coulomb force by a factor of the order of \( 10^{-36} \).
(B) The nuclear force between two nucleons falls rapidly to zero as their distance is more than a few femtometers. — Correct. The nuclear force is short ranged, of the order of a few femtometres.
(C) The nuclear force depends on the electric charge. — Incorrect. The nuclear force is charge independent: it is the same between two protons, two neutrons, or a proton and a neutron.
(D) The nuclear force is much stronger than the coulomb force. — Correct. At nuclear distances it is much stronger than the Coulomb repulsion, which is why it can hold the protons together in a nucleus.
NCERT (2026-27):
Nuclear Force – “… (i) The nuclear force is much stronger than the Coulomb force acting between charges or the gravitational forces between masses. … The gravitational force is much weaker than even Coulomb force. (ii) The nuclear force between two nucleons falls rapidly to zero as their distance is more than a few femtometres.”
Nuclear Force – “… (iii) The nuclear force between neutron-neutron, proton-neutron and proton-proton is approximately the same. The nuclear force does not depend on the electric charge.”