Nuclear forces do not determine the rate of radioactive decay. Radioactive decay is a process governed by the weak nuclear force, which allows for the transformation of one type of particle (e.g., a neutron) into another (e.g., a proton) through the emission of subatomic particles like beta particles or positrons. The probability of this transformation occurring is governed by the specific characteristics of the radioactive isotope, such as its half-life, which is a measure of the time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay.