Question

The density of nucleus is of the order of which of the following:
A.\[{{10}^{5}}\]kg/\[{{m}^{3}}\]
B.\[{{10}^{10}}\] kg/\[{{m}^{3}}\]
C.\[{{10}^{17}}\] kg/\[{{m}^{3}}\]
D.\[{{10}^{25}}\] kg/\[{{m}^{3}}\]

Answer 1

Hint: The atomic nucleus consists of nucleons—protons and neutrons. Protons and neutrons are made of quarks and held together by the strong forces of attraction generated by gluon exchange between quarks. We can estimate the density of the nucleus by the mass of protons and neutrons and their radius. Density is a measure of mass per volume. The average density of an object equals the ratio of the total mass divided by its total volume. An object made from a comparatively dense material will have little less volume than an object of equal mass made from some less dense substance.

Complete step by step answer:
The atomic nucleus is a largely dense region in the centre of the atom. The nuclear force is a natural force of attraction that holds protons and neutrons together. This force helps in keeping the subatomic particles nice and tight. The nuclear force only works at a close distance. Nuclear density is the density of the nucleus of an atom, averaging about $2.3\times {{10}^{17}}kg/{{m}^{3}}$.
Hence, the correct answer is option C which is \[{{10}^{17}}\,kg/{{m}^{3}}\].

Note:
The descriptive term nuclear density is also applied to situations where similarly high densities occur such as within the stars. The nucleus is the central part of an atom and it contains the protons and neutrons. Nearly all of the atom's mass is contained in the nucleus; the volume of the nucleus is tiny compared with the atom's total volume; thus the density of matter in the nucleus is enormous.