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Why don't nuclear protons, with formal positive charges, electrostatically repel each other?

Answer 1

They do, but they are constrained by a stronger force.

For a more sophisticated answer, you will have to find a particle physicist, or at least someone better informed than me. The strong nuclear force, while short range, operates within the nucleus between protons and neutrons. At this level, it is stronger (demonstrated) than the electromagnetic force that would repel positively charged protons.

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Answer 2

Owen Ambrose

Because of their positive charges, nuclear protons do face electrostatic repulsion; however, this repulsion is overcome by the strong nuclear force, which is stronger than the electrostatic force, and keeps the protons together within the nucleus.

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.