Final answer:
The four fundamental forces, ranked from strongest to weakest, are the strong nuclear force, the electromagnetic force, the weak nuclear force, and gravity. These forces dictate particle interactions and range from subatomic to cosmic scales.
Step-by-step explanation:
The fundamental forces of nature are crucial to understanding particle physics and the interactions that govern the universe. In terms of strength, the hierarchy of these forces from highest to lowest is as follows: the strong nuclear force, the electromagnetic force, the weak nuclear force, and gravity.
The strong nuclear force is the most powerful and acts only at subatomic distances, holding the nucleus of an atom together. The electromagnetic force governs the interactions between charged particles and is responsible for phenomena such as the structure of atoms. The weak nuclear force is responsible for processes such as radioactive decay. And finally, gravity is the weakest force but is the most noticeable on a large scale, such as the attraction between planets and stars.
Despite the complexity of their effects, these fundamental forces operate over vastly different ranges and are crucial to understanding everything from molecular chemistry to the structure of the cosmos.