fundamental force

American  

[fuhn-duh-ment-uhl fawrs] / ˌfʌn dəˈmɛnt əl ˈfɔrs /

noun

fundamental forces plural

1. Physics. any of the four fundamental forces that underlie all physical interaction in the universe and cannot be explained in terms of other forces, including the strong force, the electromagnetic force, the weak force, and gravity.

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fundamental force Scientific  

/ fŭn′də-mĕn′tl /

1. One of four forces that act between bodies of matter and that are mediated by one or more particles. In order of decreasing strength, the four fundamental forces are the strong force, the electromagnetic force, the weak force, and gravity. The particles associated with these forces, known as force carriers, are the gluon, the photon, the intermediate vector bosons (the Z boson and the W boson), and the graviton, respectively. Some scientists believe that the weak force and the electromagnetic force are both aspects of a single force called the electroweak force. Decay processes in which a subatomic particle is converted into other particles are mediated by the fundamental forces, which relate the decaying particle to the resulting particles; for example, beta decay is mediated by the weak force.

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• fundamental forces
  plural

Example Sentences

Understanding what fundamental force or particle caused such inflation is a central challenge for particle theory.

From Science Magazine • May 9, 2024

Each fundamental force carries a so-called "charge," which dictates its strength or how strongly a particle feels the force.

From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2024

The China Securities Journal of Beijing said improvements in China's economic expectations remained the most fundamental force in deciding the yuan's value.

From Reuters • Jan. 10, 2023

These subatomic particles are responsible for a fundamental force at the center of atoms, and they exist for only a fraction of a second before they decay into other particles.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 7, 2022

The scientists may soon be forced by radium and other natural phenomena to accept the electric theory—that electricity and not gravity is the one and only fundamental force in nature.

From The Universe a Vast Electric Organism by Warder, George Woodward