) Decay: Emission of high-energy electromagnetic radiation to shed excess energy. 6. Modern Applications Beyond energy production, nuclear physics is vital for:
), meaning it only works when nucleons are practically touching. Nuclear Physics: Exploring the Heart of Matter
Sterilization of medical equipment and smoke detection. nuclear physics is vital for: )
The nucleus is composed of : positively charged protons and neutral neutrons. These are not elementary particles themselves; they are made of even smaller entities called quarks (specifically up and down quarks) held together by the strong force via the exchange of gluons. Licensed by Google 2. Fundamental Forces at Play Two competing forces define the stability of a nucleus: Nuclear Physics: Exploring the Heart of Matter