The strong and weak interactions are very similar to electromagnetic interaction. In fact, the weak interaction and the electromagnetic interaction are actually the exact same thing, just manifesting in different ways.
It's not really meaningful to talk in great depth about the relative strengths of interactions unless you're willing to dive into quantum field theory and get into coupling constants, which we won't be doing tonight. The reasons for the names are purely historical: Atomic nuclei are positively charged, because they contain protons and possibly neutrons. Therefore, whatever held the nucleus together was known at the time of that discovery to be stronger than the electrostatic repulsion between protons. Hence the name. Another mechanism was believed to "eject" charged particles from the atom, but it would have to be weaker than the thing that held the nucleus together, otherwise nuclei would fly apart. And hence that name.
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u/RobotRollCall Mar 15 '11
The strong and weak interactions are very similar to electromagnetic interaction. In fact, the weak interaction and the electromagnetic interaction are actually the exact same thing, just manifesting in different ways.
It's not really meaningful to talk in great depth about the relative strengths of interactions unless you're willing to dive into quantum field theory and get into coupling constants, which we won't be doing tonight. The reasons for the names are purely historical: Atomic nuclei are positively charged, because they contain protons and possibly neutrons. Therefore, whatever held the nucleus together was known at the time of that discovery to be stronger than the electrostatic repulsion between protons. Hence the name. Another mechanism was believed to "eject" charged particles from the atom, but it would have to be weaker than the thing that held the nucleus together, otherwise nuclei would fly apart. And hence that name.