You are here. What we do. Using our expertise and experience GCHQ is part of the team which protects the UK, along with law enforcement and the other intelligence agencies. Working with HMG and industry, we defend Government systems from cyber threat, provide support to the Armed Forces and strive to keep the public safe, in real life and online.
So the electromagnetic force holds matter together, but in a quantum mechanical way. As for metallic bonds I have no clue how that works. The idea seems to be that a sea of electrons acts as a glue that holds together an array of nucleons. Not sure how Schrodinger's equation gets you that.
What FORCE hold metals together? Jul 20, 2005 #1. I feel like this is something I should already know, but I donât even know what to search for to find an explanation. Solid pure metals like piece of Iron, Copper, or Nickel are made up of atoms all the same (Cu, Fe, or Ni). Each atom has a positive nucleus surrounded by a field of electrons. So at very close proximity the shell of electrons should serve to keep the atoms apart for the others. BUT what holds them to make the metal?