Question

reading strategy (page 378)
comparing and contrasting as you read this section, compare two universal forces by completing the table. for more information on this reading strategy, see the reading and study skills in the skills and reference handbook at the end of your textbook.
universal nuclear forces
force\tacts on which particles?\tacts over what distance?\trelative strength
strong nuclear\t\t\t
weak nuclear\t\t\t

Explanation:

To fill the table about universal nuclear forces (strong and weak nuclear forces), we use knowledge from Physics (subfield of Natural Science) about these forces:

Strong Nuclear Force

• Acts on Which Particles? Acts on quarks (to bind them into protons, neutrons) and on hadrons (protons, neutrons, etc.) to hold atomic nuclei together.
• Acts Over What Distance? Very short distance (≈ \(10^{-15}\) meters, size of atomic nucleus).
• Relative Strength? Strongest of the four fundamental forces (≈ \(10^{38}\) times stronger than gravity, \(10^{13}\) times stronger than weak nuclear force).

Weak Nuclear Force

• Acts on Which Particles? Acts on leptons (e.g., electrons, neutrinos) and quarks (causes flavor changes, like in beta decay).
• Acts Over What Distance? Extremely short distance (≈ \(10^{-18}\) meters, much shorter than strong nuclear force).
• Relative Strength? Weaker than strong nuclear force (≈ \(10^{-13}\) times the strength of strong nuclear force, but stronger than gravity over subatomic distances).

Now, we organize this into the table:

Force	Acts on Which Particles?	Acts Over What Distance?	Relative Strength
Weak nuclear	Leptons (electrons, neutrinos), quarks	~\(10^{-18}\) m	Weaker (≈\(10^{-13}\)× strong force)

This uses principles of nuclear physics to compare the two fundamental forces governing subatomic interactions.

Answer:

To fill the table about universal nuclear forces (strong and weak nuclear forces), we use knowledge from Physics (subfield of Natural Science) about these forces:

Strong Nuclear Force

• Acts on Which Particles? Acts on quarks (to bind them into protons, neutrons) and on hadrons (protons, neutrons, etc.) to hold atomic nuclei together.
• Acts Over What Distance? Very short distance (≈ \(10^{-15}\) meters, size of atomic nucleus).
• Relative Strength? Strongest of the four fundamental forces (≈ \(10^{38}\) times stronger than gravity, \(10^{13}\) times stronger than weak nuclear force).

Weak Nuclear Force

• Acts on Which Particles? Acts on leptons (e.g., electrons, neutrinos) and quarks (causes flavor changes, like in beta decay).
• Acts Over What Distance? Extremely short distance (≈ \(10^{-18}\) meters, much shorter than strong nuclear force).
• Relative Strength? Weaker than strong nuclear force (≈ \(10^{-13}\) times the strength of strong nuclear force, but stronger than gravity over subatomic distances).

Now, we organize this into the table:

Force	Acts on Which Particles?	Acts Over What Distance?	Relative Strength
Weak nuclear	Leptons (electrons, neutrinos), quarks	~\(10^{-18}\) m	Weaker (≈\(10^{-13}\)× strong force)

This uses principles of nuclear physics to compare the two fundamental forces governing subatomic interactions.