Concept:
The fundamental forces in nature exhibit varied characteristic ranges and relative strengths. Among these, the strong nuclear force is responsible for binding protons and neutrons (nucleons) together within an atomic nucleus.
• The strong nuclear force is short-ranged and operational only at subatomic scales.
• At distances less than $0.5\text{ fm}$, it becomes highly repulsive, preventing nucleons from collapsing into each other.
• At distances around $1\text{ fm}$ to $1.5\text{ fm}$, it is strongly attractive.
• Beyond approximately $2.5\text{ fm}$ to $3\text{ fm}$, the force decreases rapidly to zero, becoming completely negligible.
Step 1:
The typical size of an atomic nucleus is on the order of a femtometer (fm), where:
$$1\text{ fm} = 10^{-15}\text{ m}$$
Since the strong nuclear force holds the constituents of the nucleus together without expanding dynamically to macroscopic dimensions, its physical manifestation is strictly confined within this boundary limit.
Step 2:
Let us systematically evaluate each option provided in the problem statement:
• Infinity: Gravitational and electromagnetic forces have an infinite range, decreasing according to the inverse-square law ($1/r^2$). Thus, this choice does not correspond to the strong nuclear force.
• $\sim 10^{-16}\text{ m}$: This scale is closer to the operational range of the weak nuclear force, which is responsible for radioactive decay processes like beta decay ($\sim 10^{-18}\text{ m}$ to $10^{-17}\text{ m}$).
• Zero: A force with a literal range of zero would mean it is completely non-existent and cannot mediate any interaction at any distance, which contradicts the existence of stable atomic nuclei.
• $\sim 10^{-15}\text{ m}$: This corresponds directly to $1\text{ fm}$, which is precisely the characteristic operational distance scale for hadronic interactions mediated by mesons.
Therefore, the correct choice is Option (D).