Suppose F_ pp , F_ pn , and F_ nn represent the magnitudes of the nuclear force exerted by a proton on a proton, a proton on a neutron, and a neutron on a neutron, respectively. For a separation distance of 1 fm ,

Step-by-step solution

The strong nuclear force is a fundamental force that acts between nucleons (protons and neutrons). One of the key properties of the strong nuclear force is that it is charge-independent. This means that the nuclear force between any two nucleons does not depend on their electric charges. Therefore, for a given separation distance (such as 1 fm ), the magnitude of the nuclear force between two protons ( F_ pp ), a proton and a neutron ( F_ pn ), and two neutrons ( F_ nn ) is exactly the same. F_ pp = F_ pn = F_ nn