Which of the following is the fundamental force in nature?
Show Hint
Remember the four fundamental forces of nature:
Gravitational, Electromagnetic, Strong nuclear, Weak nuclear
All other common forces such as friction, tension, spring force, and normal force are derived forces.
Step 1: Understand the fundamental forces of nature.
There are four fundamental forces in nature:
(i) Gravitational force
(ii) Electromagnetic force
(iii) Strong nuclear force
(iv) Weak nuclear force
These forces are basic interactions and are not derived from any other forces.
Step 2: Analyze the given options.
(1) Normal force:
Normal force is a contact force that arises due to electromagnetic interactions between surfaces. It is not a fundamental force.
(2) Frictional force:
Frictional force is also a contact force caused by electromagnetic interactions between molecules of surfaces in contact. It is not fundamental.
(3) Spring force:
Spring force is an elastic restoring force that originates from intermolecular electromagnetic interactions. It is not a fundamental force.
(4) Strong nuclear force:
The strong nuclear force is one of the four basic fundamental forces of nature. It binds protons and neutrons together inside the nucleus.
Step 3: Final conclusion.
Hence, the fundamental force among the given options is
\[
\boxed{\text{Strong nuclear force}}
\]