Question

What is a nucleon and where is it present?

Answer 1

Hint: The answer to the above question lies in the word nucleon itself. It is derived from the word the nucleus. Nucleon is basically a particle consisting of either charged or zero charged particles bound together with a particular value of binding energy for different atoms of different elements. Hence from this we can define a nucleon as well as determine where exactly it is present.

Complete answer:
A nucleon is either a proton or a neutron, considered in its role as a component of an atomic nucleus. The number of nucleons in a nucleus defines an isotope's mass number. Nucleons were thought to be elementary particles, which now is no longer true. Presently we know that they are made of three quarks bound together by strong nuclear interaction. Nucleons sit at the boundary where particle and nuclear physics overlap. This is due to the fact that at a particular distance from the center of the nucleus, the electrostatic force is overcome by the weak nuclear force.
Hence from the above information we can conclude that nucleons are subatomic particles consisting of protons and neutrons in the atomic nuclei.

Note: The interaction between two or more nucleons is called intermolecular interaction or nuclear force. This force is a short range force. This force is independent of the electric charge as per Coulomb's law. It is also to be noted that the mass of the nucleus is always less than that of the individual mass of proton and neutron which is due to the mass defect.