Name the two main interactions that compete inside a nucleus containing many protons.

Why is the strong nuclear force described as short-range?

Explain what is meant by saturation of the strong nuclear force.

Why does the surface term reduce nuclear binding in a liquid-drop model?

Use \(R=R_0A^{1/3}\) to explain why a Coulomb-energy estimate contains a factor like \(Z(Z-1)/A^{1/3}\).

Why do heavy nuclei require more neutrons than protons for stability?

What are nuclear magic numbers, and what do they indicate?

Why are even-even nuclei generally more common among stable nuclei than odd-odd nuclei?

A nucleus has \(Z=82\). Why might this proton number give extra stability?

Contrast the liquid-drop model and the shell model of the nucleus.

Why does the nuclear force being approximately charge-independent not imply that proton-rich and neutron-rich nuclei are equally stable?

Explain the asymmetry-energy idea qualitatively.

A simple binding model includes \(B=a_VA-a_SA^{2/3}\). Explain the physical meaning of the two terms.

For the model \(B=a_VA-a_SA^{2/3}\), show why surface effects become less important per nucleon as \(A\) grows.

Why does the Coulomb term become more destabilizing as \(Z\) increases?

A nucleus has one unpaired nucleon outside closed shells. What broad feature of its nuclear spin would you expect?

A nucleus is doubly magic. What does that mean, and what stability effect is expected?

Use scaling to compare Coulomb repulsion in two nuclei with the same \(N/Z\) ratio but one has twice the \(A\).

Explain why no single simple nuclear model is sufficient for all nuclear properties.

Prove, using scaling only, why heavy nuclei cannot remain stable with \(N=Z\) indefinitely.