The strong force holds quarks together within protons, neutrons and other particles. It also prevents the protons in the nucleus from flying apart under the influence of the repulsive electrical force between them (they all have positive charge!). This is because, within the nucleus, the strong force is about 100 times stronger than the electromagnetic one. The strong force is quite special: it becomes stronger with distance. The quarks bound within particles, for instance, never appear alone; as you try to pull them apart, the force becomes stronger! This is unlike the more familiar effects of gravity and electromagnetism, where the forces become weaker with distance.
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