Fundamental Forces
Suppose there is a book on a table. Let ‘something’ is applied on the book by hand to move the book. A ball is speeding towards the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper stops the football by applying ‘something’ on the ball by hands. In order to move the book or to stop the football ‘something’ which is applied is called force.
In nature, we are familiar with different types of forces which have different names as well. But all these forces are not fundamental. At the fundamental levels, all these forces fall into four groups. These forces are called fundamental forces.
Those forces which are fundamental and do not originate from other forces, but all other forces can be expressed in terms of those forces are called fundamental forces. Four types of fundamental forces are there in nature. They are –
- Gravitational force; weakest force; but an infinite range.
- Electromagnetic force; stronger, with infinite range.
- Strong nuclear force, strongest; but short range.
- Weak nuclear force; next weakest; but short range.
