
Subatomic particle | Definition, Examples, & Classes | Britannica
Dec 12, 2025 · Subatomic particles play two vital roles in the structure of matter. They are both the basic building blocks of the universe and the mortar that binds the blocks.
Atom | Definition, Structure, History, Examples, Diagram, & Facts ...
Dec 25, 2025 · Most of the atom is empty space. The rest consists of three basic types of subatomic particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons. The protons and neutrons form the atom’s central …
Subatomic particle - Elementary, Quarks, Leptons | Britannica
Dec 12, 2025 · The term subatomic particle refers both to the true elementary particles, such as quarks and electrons, and to the larger particles that quarks form. Although both are elementary particles, …
atomic particles - Students | Britannica Kids | Homework Help
Instead, atoms are made up of smaller components called atomic (or subatomic) particles. Atoms consist of electrons that are bound to a tiny nucleus. The nucleus is made of neutrons and protons.
Atom - Quantum Mechanics, Subatomic Particles, Electrons | Britannica
Dec 25, 2025 · Atom - Quantum Mechanics, Subatomic Particles, Electrons: Within a few short years scientists developed a consistent theory of the atom that explained its fundamental structure and its …
Proton | Definition, Mass, Charge, & Facts | Britannica
Dec 7, 2025 · Neutrons and protons are classified as hadrons, subatomic particles that are subject to the strong force. Hadrons, in turn, have been shown to possess internal structure in the form of quarks, …
Atom - Development, Theory, Structure | Britannica
Dec 25, 2025 · Atom - Development, Theory, Structure: The concept of the atom that Western scientists accepted in broad outline from the 1600s until about 1900 originated with Greek philosophers in the …
Electron | Definition, Mass, & Facts | Britannica
Nov 20, 2025 · However, atoms are made up of three types of subatomic particles: the heavy protons and neutrons that make up the nucleus (the central part of the atom), and the much lighter electrons …
Alpha particle | Charge, Mass, & Definition | Britannica
This work resulted in the first concept of the atom as a tiny planetary system with negatively charged particles (electrons) orbiting around a positively charged nucleus (1909–11).
Atom - Electrons, Protons, Neutrons | Britannica
3 days ago · Atom - Electrons, Protons, Neutrons: During the 1880s and ’90s scientists searched cathode rays for the carrier of the electrical properties in matter. Their work culminated in the …