A Level Physics Practice Exam

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Study for the A Level Physics Exam. Our quiz features flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Prepare thoroughly!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

What is the natural effect of protons on each other?

Attract each other
Repel each other
Neutralize each other
Both attract and repel each other

The correct answer is: Repel each other

Protons are positively charged particles, and their natural effect on each other is to repel. This repulsion is due to the electromagnetic force, which acts between electric charges. Since protons carry the same charge, they experience a repulsive force that increases with the proximity of the protons to one another. In addition to this electromagnetic effect, protons also experience the strong nuclear force when they are very close together, such as within an atomic nucleus. However, this strong force does not negate the repulsive electromagnetic force between them under most circumstances, especially at larger distances. The other choices do not accurately depict the interaction between protons. Attracting each other is not correct since like charges repel. Neutralizing each other applies to opposite charges, and suggesting that both attract and repel might lead to confusion since the predominant interaction at typical distances between protons is the repulsion due to their like charges.