Adrienne Imbrogno, age 13, of Philadelphia, PA, for her question:

What is nuclear physics?

The word physics is coined from a Greek word meaning nature. We use it to mean the science or study of natural objects. This, of course, is a wide subject   much too wide for any one person to tackle in detail. So the experts specialize in various branches of physics.

Nuclear physics is a fairly new branch of science. It deals with the nucleus or core of the tiny atom. A nuclear physicist must be trained in mathematics, chemistry and many other branches of science. But his main object is probing the atomic nucleus and taming its mighty energy.