About this episode
This episode explores the forces that hold atomic nuclei together, challenging common assumptions about nuclear stability.
Check out http://rocketmoney.com/pbsspace or scan the QR code on the screen to start managing your personal finances today. Thank you to Rocket Money for sponsoring today's video! #rocketmoney #personalfinance PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to:http://to.pbs.org/DonateSPACE Sign Up on Patreon to get access to the Space Time Discord! https://www.patreon.com/pbsspacetime Two protons next to each other in an atomic nucleus are repelling each other electromagnetically with enough force to lift a medium-sized labradoodle off the ground. Release this energy and you have, well, you have a nuclear explosion. Just as well there's an even stronger force than the electromagnetism holding our nuclei together. But it's not the strong force, as you might have imagined. At least not directly. Nuclei are held together by a quirk of nature, without which we would have no complex atoms, no chemistry, and certainly no labradoodles. Episode Companion Playlist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsPUh22kYmNCppFZX8xlp5nrMhN_KVgQh Check out the Space Time Merch Store https://www.pbsspacetime.com/shop Sign up for the mailing list to get episode…
People in this episode
Host: Matt O'Dowd
Topics covered
- nuclear physics
- atomic structure
- strong force
- electromagnetism
- quarks
- chemistry
Keywords
- nucleus
- protons
- nuclear explosion
- strong force
- electromagnetism
- quarks
- chemistry
Sponsors
Rocket Money
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: PBS
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