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{{no footnotes|date=October 2021}}
[[Image:Helium atom QM.svg|200px|thumb|right|This is an atom, and it is very small. Atoms are made up of particles. Red circles represent protons and blue circles represent neutrons. The atom shown here is a [[helium]] atom.]]

A '''particle''' is a tiny bit of [[matter]] that makes up everything in the universe. In [[particle physics]], an [[elementary particle]] is a particle which cannot be split up into smaller pieces.

There are many different types of particles, with different [[particle size (general)|particle size]]s and properties.

''Macroscopic particles'' are particles that are larger than [[atoms]] or [[molecule]]s. They have volume and shape. [[Powder]] and [[dust]] are some examples of macroscopic particles. Nanoparticles are an intermediate size, being a very fine powder but much larger than atoms.

Atoms and molecules are called ''microscopic particles''. ''Subatomic particles'' are particles that are smaller than atoms. The [[proton]], the [[neutron]], and the [[electron]] are subatomic particles. These are the particles which make atoms. The proton has a [[positive|positive]] [[Electric charge|charge]] (a + charge). The neutron has a [[Electric charge|neutral charge]]. The electron has a [[Electric charge|negative charge]] (a - charge), and it is the smallest of these three particles. In atoms, there is a small [[Nucleus (physics)|nucleus]] in the center, which is where the protons and neutrons are, and electrons [[orbit]] the nucleus.

Protons and neutrons are made up of [[quarks]]. Quarks are subatomic particles, but they are also elementary particles because we do not know if they are made up of even smaller particles. There are six different types of quarks. These are the up quark, the down quark, the strange quark, the charm quark, the bottom quark, and the top quark. A [[neutron]] is made of two down quarks and one up [[quark]]. The proton is made up of two up quarks and one down quark.

{{Elementary}}



== Particle Media ==
<gallery widths='160px' heights='100%' mode='traditional' caption=''>
File: GMAW.welding.af.ncs.jpg|[[Arc welding|Arc welders]] need to protect themselves from [[spark (fire)|welding sparks]], which are heated metal particles that fly off the welding surface

File:Gas particle movement.svg|Particles are often represented as dots. This figure could represent the movement of [[atom]]s in a [[gas]], [[crowd simulation|people in crowds]], or [[star]]s in the [[night sky]].

File:Quark_structure_proton.svg|A [[proton]] is composed of three [[quark]]s and held together with the [[strong interaction]].

File:ColloidalStability.png|Examples of a stable and of an unstable colloidal dispersion.
</gallery>
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[[Category:Chemistry]]
[[Category:Nuclear physics]]
[[Category:Matter]]