Skip to content
Curated category

Fundamental interactions

  • Weak interactionThe weak interaction operates over distances smaller than the diameter of a proton. This range extends only to about 0.1 femtometers, or 10^-18 meters.
  • Strong interactionAt a distance of 10 to the minus 15 meters, the strong interaction exerts a force roughly one hundred times stronger than electromagnetism.
  • GravityIn 628 CE, the Indian mathematician and astronomer Brahmagupta proposed that gravity is an attractive force drawing objects to Earth.
  • ElectromagnetismAround 600 B.C.E., the Greek philosopher Thales of Miletus rubbed amber with cloth to create an electric charge. This simple act allowed the stone to pick up…