| 1. | Also called nuclear force. the short-range attractive force between baryons that holds together the nucleus of the atom. |
| 2. | Also called color force. the force between quarks. |
| strong force n. See strong interaction. |
| strong interaction n. A fundamental interaction between elementary particles that causes protons and neutrons to bind together in the atomic nucleus. Also called strong force. |
In physics, the force that holds particles together in the atomic nucleus and the force that holds quarks together in elementary particles.
Note: As the name implies, this is the strongest force known in nature.
strong force  (strông) Pronunciation Key
The fundamental force that mediates interactions between particles with color charge, such as quarks and gluons. The strong force binds quarks together to form baryons such as protons and neutrons, maintains the binding of protons and neutrons together in atomic nuclei, and is responsible for many particle decay processes. Particles that interact through the strong force exchange gluons, much as particles involved in electromagnetic interactions exchange photons. Quark color, but not flavor, is changed by the exchange of gluons. The strong force is stronger than the weak force, the electromagnetic force, and gravity, but has been known to apply only across distances the size of atomic nuclei or smaller. Also called color force, strong interaction, strong nuclear force. |
