Force Carriers
. All of the known forces in our universe can be classified as one of four types: electromagnetic , strong , weak , or gravitational . These forces affect everything in the universe. The electromagnetic force binds electrons to the atoms that compose our bodies, the objects around us, the Earth, the planets, and the Moon. The strong nuclear force holds together the nuclei inside the atoms that compose matter. Reactions due to the weak nuclear force fuel the Sun, providing light and heat. Gravity holds people and objects to the ground. Each force has a particular property associated with it, such as electric charge for the electromagnetic force. Elementary particles that do not have electric charge, such as neutrinos, are electrically neutral and are not affected by the electromagnetic force. Mechanical forces, such as the force used to push a child on a swing, result from the electrical repulsion between electrons and are thus electromagnetic. Even though a parent pushing a child on a ...