text: couple of questions here...? 1. what is the energy that holds together the nucleus of an atom. 2. can polymers conduct heat. 3. the number of electrons in the first two levels 4. any sites that could help me 1.  i believe this energy is called a "strong force".  it's the energy needed to keep positive protons (which would normally repel each other) together in the nucleus.  2.  no, polymers cannot conduct heat or electricity.  they are covalent compounds.  3.  the "s" sublevel has 2 electrons and the "p" sublevel has 6.  therefore, the first two levels contain 8 total electrons.  this can be further applied into a concept known as the "octet rule" which is used to determine bonding patterns and reactivity of elements.  4.  see sources for helpful sites