What is a proton?
Quick Answer
A proton is a positively charged particle found in the nucleus of an atom. It is made of quarks and is one of the main building blocks of ordinary matter.
The Full Story
A proton carries a positive electric charge equal in magnitude to that of an electron and has a mass of about 1 atomic mass unit. It is composed of two up quarks and one down quark bound by gluons through the strong force. The number of protons in an atom determines which element it is: hydrogen has 1, helium has 2, carbon has 6, and so on. Protons are stable as far as experiments have shown, with no confirmed evidence of decay. They are essential to atomic structure, chemistry, and the existence of matter itself.
Key Facts
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Suggested video title for this topic:
"The particle that gives every element its identity"
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