File:Standard_Model_of_Elementary_Particles.svg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ104934· pop 78· linked from 302 articles

fundamental interaction

Also known as fundamental force, interactive force, physical interaction

any of the physical interactions or forces: gravitational, electromagnetic, strong nuclear, and weak nuclear

AI overview

A fundamental interaction is one of the four basic forces of nature—gravity, electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear forces—that govern how all objects and particles in the universe behave and influence each other. Understanding these interactions matters because they explain everything from why objects fall to the ground and how atoms hold together to how stars burn and what happens inside atomic nuclei.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Image: Particle overview.svg

Show 1 more fact

Commons category: Fundamental forces

Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

~28 min read

Article

In physics, the fundamental interactions or fundamental forces are interactions in nature that appear not to be reducible to more basic interactions. There are four fundamental interactions known to exist: gravity, electromagnetism, weak interaction, and strong interaction. The gravitational and electromagnetic interactions produce long-range forces whose effects can be seen directly in everyday life. The strong and weak interactions produce forces at subatomic scales and govern nuclear interactions inside atoms. Some scientists hypothesize that a fifth force might exist, but these hypotheses remain speculative.

Each of the known fundamental interactions can be described mathematically as a field. The gravitational interaction is attributed to the curvature of spacetime, described by Einstein's general theory of relativity. The other three are discrete quantum fields, and their interactions are mediated by elementary particles described by the Standard Model of particle physics.