Particle

Particle

A particle is a minute portion of matter. It is a broad term that can refer to various types of very small objects, including subatomic particles like the electron, proton, and neutron, as well as atoms and molecules. In the physical sciences, the word is used to describe a small localized object to which can be ascribed several physical or chemical properties such as volume or mass.

Subatomic particles

Subatomic particles are particles much smaller than atoms. There are two types of subatomic particles: elementary particles, which according to current theories are not made of other particles; and composite particles. There are several types of subatomic particles including electrons, protons, and neutrons.

Atoms and molecules

Atoms are the smallest particles of a chemical element that retain its chemical properties. They are composed of subatomic particles. A molecule is the smallest particle in a chemical element or compound that has the chemical properties of that element or compound. Molecules are made up of atoms that are held together by chemical bonds.

Particles in physics

In physics, a particle is an abstract concept representing a quantity of matter. It can be a 'point particle' – that is, a particle with no spatial extent – or a 'spherical particle' – a particle which has a spatial extent, i.e., size and shape.

See also

• Quantum mechanics
• Particle physics
• Standard Model
• Elementary particle
• Composite particle

References

Particle Resources
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