Final answer:
The force between an alpha particle and the nucleus of an atom is the Coulomb force, which causes repulsion between the positively charged alpha particle and the positively charged nucleus. Additionally, within the nucleus, the strong nuclear force binds nucleons together, contrasting the repulsion of the Coulomb force.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of force that occurs between an alpha particle and the nucleus of an atom is primarily the Coulomb force, which is a repulsive force between two positive charges. In the historical experiment conducted by Rutherford, alpha particles were scattered by gold nuclei, revealing aspects of the atomic nucleus's size and mass. A head-on collision between an alpha particle and a gold nucleus would result in the alpha particle rebounding straight back, due to the gold nucleus being significantly more massive than the alpha particle. These experimental observations led to the conclusion that the atomic nucleus is very small, contains most of the atom's mass, and is tightly bound by the strong nuclear force.
In addition to the Coulomb force, once inside the nucleus, an alpha particle is also subject to the strong nuclear force. The strong nuclear force works over a short range, binding nucleons together with a strength that quickly falls off beyond a distance of about 10-15 meters. However, despite the strong force being very powerful at close distances, an alpha particle can escape the nucleus via quantum mechanical tunneling, even if it doesn’t have enough kinetic energy to overcome the repulsive Coulomb barrier.