R ReadLittle The Kids' Encyclopedia

Particle

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A tiny piece of matter or energy


A particle is a small piece or part of matter. Everything around us is made up of particles, from the air we breathe to the objects we touch. Some particles, like dust or sand grains, can be seen with the eye or a microscope. Others, such as atoms and subatomic particles, are so tiny that they can only be studied with special scientific tools.

In science, particles are the building blocks of all matter. matter is anything that takes up space and has mass, and it is made of atoms. Each atom is made of even smaller particles called protons, neutrons, and electrons. These are known as subatomic particles. Protons and neutrons form the center, or nucleus, of the atom, while electrons move around the nucleus. The arrangement and behavior of these particles determine what element or material something is.

Particles can also be forms of energy, not just matter. light, for example, is made of particles called photons, which carry energy but have no mass. In modern physics, scientists study how matter and energy interact through particles using advanced experiments, such as those done in a particle accelerator. This field of study is called particle physics.

Particles come in many types and sizes. Some particles are very stable and last a long time, while others exist only for a tiny fraction of a second before changing into other particles. There are even particles that make up forces, like the photon (light), gluon (strong force), and graviton (gravity, still theoretical). Scientists continue to discover new particles and learn how they combine to form the universe.

The idea that matter is made of small pieces has existed since ancient times, but modern research has revealed that the structure of matter is far more complex than early thinkers imagined. Today, the Standard model in physics describes many of the known fundamental particles and how they interact. However, scientists believe there are still unknown particles that could help explain mysteries like dark matter and energy in the universe.

In summary, a particle is one of the smallest known parts of matter or energy. From atoms to photons, particles form the foundation of everything that exists and are studied to better understand how the universe works.

What We Can Learn

  • A particle is a very small piece of matter or energy.
  • Atoms are made of smaller particles called protons, neutrons, and electrons.
  • Some particles, like photons, carry energy instead of mass.
  • Particle physics studies how particles form and interact in the universe.