AQA AS Level Physics Paper 2, November 2021: Question 12

1 mark · Easy difficulty · Multiple Choice

Identify the correct row describing the nature of the strong nuclear force between two nucleons at separations of 0.25 fm, 2.0 fm, and 8.0 fm.

Practise this question

Question

Multiple-choice question 12 asking to identify the row describing the strong nuclear force at 0.25 fm, 2.0 fm, and 8.0 fm. Four rows A, B, C, and D present different combinations of attractive, repulsive, and negligible forces for these distances.
Question text

12 Which row describes the nature of the strong nuclear force between two nucleons at

separations of 0.25 fm, 2.0 fm and 8.0 fm?

[1 mark]

At a separation of At a separation of At a separation of

0.25 fm 2.0 fm 8.0 fm

A attractive repulsive negligible

B repulsive attractive attractive

C negligible repulsive attractive

D repulsive attractive negligible

Mark scheme

Show the mark scheme Mark scheme indicating the correct answer is option D, which states the force is repulsive at 0.25 fm, attractive at 2.0 fm, and negligible at 8.0 fm.

12 D repulsive attractive negligible

How to answer it

Nature of the Strong Nuclear Force

What this question tests

This question assesses your understanding of the variation of the strong nuclear force with separation distance between nucleons (protons and neutrons). You need to recall specific distance thresholds where the force transitions from repulsive to attractive, and where it drops to zero.

Question 1.2 — Multiple Choice [1 mark]

Exam Breakdown

✅ Correct Answer: D

At 0.25 fm : repulsive
At 2.0 fm : attractive
At 8.0 fm : negligible

Awards 1 mark for selecting option D.

💡 Key Knowledge

  • Under 0.5 fm: The strong nuclear force is repulsive to prevent nucleons from crushing into each other.
  • 0.5 fm to 3.0 fm: The force is strongly attractive, holding the nucleus together.
  • Beyond 3.0 fm (up to ~4.0 fm): The force drops rapidly towards zero (negligible).

🧠 Exam Technique

Eliminate options systematically using the key distance landmarks. Remembering that separations greater than 3 fm result in a negligible force immediately lets you discard options B and C.

❌ Common Errors

Students frequently confuse the behavior at very short range, mistakenly assuming the strong nuclear force is always attractive. Always remember that nucleons have a 'hard core' repulsion at separations under ~0.5 fm.

Topics

Physics · 3.2 Particles and radiation

Question and mark scheme from the AQA AS Level Physics examination, Paper 2, November 2021. QuestionVault is an independent revision resource; questions remain the copyright of the awarding body.