Why is the combination of two protons and two neutrons stable,but two protons and one neutron is not?
A)There are not enough neutrons to overcome the electrical repulsion of the protons.
B)There are not enough neutrons to overcome the nuclear repulsion of the protons.
C)The nuclear attraction between protons is greater than that between neutrons.
D)The electrical repulsion between the two protons is greater in one case than the other.
E)none of the above

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The combination of two protons and two neutrons (like in a helium nucleus) is stable because the neutrons help to overcome the electrical repulsion between the protons. Neutrons add to the strong nuclear force without adding to the repulsive electromagnetic force, thus stabilizing the nucleus. In the case of two protons and one neutron, there aren't enough neutrons to sufficiently counteract the repulsion between the protons, making the configuration less stable.

Why Is the Combination of Two Protons and Two Neutrons