Question

Draw the plot of potential energy of a pair of nucleons as a function of their separation. Write two important conclusions that can be drawn from this plot.

Answer 1

Conclusion:

1. Short Range Nature of Nuclear Force: Only a very small distance (1-2 fm) is covered by the nuclear force. Potential energy gets closer to zero beyond this point, indicating negligible interaction.
2. Repulsive Core at Small Distances: Potential energy increases significantly at very small separations, suggesting a powerful repelling force. This gives nuclei stability and keeps nucleons from falling into one another.