Question

Electromagnetic force is ............. range force (a) Short (b) long (c) medium (d) very short

Short answer

(b) long

Step-by-step solution

Understand the four fundamental forces

In physics, there are four fundamental forces; these are the gravitational force, the electromagnetic force, the weak nuclear force, and the strong nuclear force. Each of these forces has a specific range over which they can operate effectively.

Research the ranges of the four fundamental forces

Let's briefly examine the ranges of each of the four fundamental forces: 1. Gravitational force: This force is long-range, as it acts between any two masses in the Universe, regardless of the distance between them. 2. Electromagnetic force: This force acts between charged particles and is responsible for phenomena such as electricity and magnetism. It is also a long-range force, like the gravitational force. 3. Weak nuclear force: This force is responsible for processes such as radioactive decay, and it acts within very short distances of the order of atomic nuclei. Therefore, it is a short-range force. 4. Strong nuclear force: This force holds protons and neutrons together in atomic nuclei. Like the weak nuclear force, it also acts within very short distances, making it a short-range force as well.

Identify the range of the electromagnetic force

From the information in Step 2, we can see that the electromagnetic force acts between charged particles and is a long-range force in nature, just like the gravitational force. So, the answer is: (b) long

Key concepts

Fundamental Forces

In the world of physics, everything around us is governed by four fundamental forces. These forces play a crucial role in shaping the behavior of particles and matter throughout the universe.

• Gravitational Force: This is the force of attraction between two masses. It is the reason why we stay grounded on Earth and why planets orbit stars.
• Electromagnetic Force: This force occurs between charged particles and is responsible for electricity and magnetism. It's the reason why magnets attract or repel and why electronic devices work.
• Weak Nuclear Force: Essential for processes like radioactive decay, this force operates only at a very short range within atomic nuclei.
• Strong Nuclear Force: This is the force that binds protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom, and it is also short-ranged.

Understanding these forces helps explain a wide range of natural phenomena from the very small, like the binding of atoms, to the very large, like the gravitational pull between galaxies.

Long-Range Force

Among the fundamental forces, some have a long reach, extending their influence over vast distances. Both gravitational and electromagnetic forces are long-range.
The term "long-range" means that these forces can act over large distances, potentially infinite in the case of empty space. Unlike the other two forces, the weak and strong nuclear forces, which act only over minuscule distances within atoms, long-range forces can affect objects far apart.

• Gravitational Force: This pulls objects together no matter how far apart they are in space, like the Earth and the Sun.
• Electromagnetic Force: Responsible for the interactions between electric charges, it acts over such distances, too. It's how light from stars can travel across millions of light-years to reach us.

This characteristic makes long-range forces pivotal in holding the universe's structure together on both cosmic and everyday scales.

Charged Particles

Charged particles are key players in electromagnetic interactions, which are one of the fundamental forces. A particle is considered charged if it has an electric charge — either positive, as with protons, or negative, as with electrons.
The electromagnetic force is unique among the fundamental forces because it includes both attraction and repulsion. Unlike gravitational force, which only pulls masses together, the electromagnetic force can push as well, based on charge polarity:

• Attraction: Opposite charges (positive and negative) attract each other, such as the interaction between an electron and a proton.
• Repulsion: Like charges (both positive or both negative) repel each other, evident in how two negatively charged electrons push away from one another.

It's the interaction of these charged particles that allows for an incredible array of phenomena, from the simple bond in a molecule to the complex functioning of electronic circuits.

Gravitational Force

Gravitational force is perhaps the most familiar of the fundamental forces, even though it is the weakest. It acts between any two masses, whether they are as small as dust particles or as massive as stars.
Gravitational force is described by Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, which states that the force \( F \) between two masses \( m_1 \) and \( m_2 \) is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance \( r \) between their centers:
\[ F = G \frac{m_1 m_2}{r^2} \] where \( G \) is the gravitational constant.
Although it's the weakest force, acting constantly and universally makes it significant, guiding phenomena such as planetary orbits and the motion of galaxies. Unlike the electromagnetic force, gravitational force only attracts. This characteristic is crucial for large-scale structure formations, as it binds matter into galaxies and star clusters.