Nuclear physics is the study of the atomic nucleus—the tiny, incredibly dense cluster of protons and neutrons at the center of every atom. While the nucleus occupies only a fraction of an atom's volume, it contains over

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:

Because protons are all positively charged, they naturally want to repel each other.

) Decay: Emission of high-energy electromagnetic radiation to shed excess energy. 6. Modern Applications Beyond energy production, nuclear physics is vital for:

of its mass and holds the keys to understanding the fundamental forces of the universe. 1. The Building Blocks: Protons and Neutrons

A nucleus is stable only if the strong force can overcome the electrostatic repulsion. This is why heavier atoms require more neutrons (which provide extra "strong force glue" without adding repulsion) to remain stable. 3. Binding Energy and

Carbon-14 dating to determine the age of organic artifacts.

One of the most profound discoveries in nuclear physics is that the mass of a nucleus is actually less than the sum of the masses of its individual protons and neutrons. This "missing mass" is known as the . According to Einstein’s equation,