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Unit 7: Astrophysics Page 22
only two of which are stable and one more thought - most of these
show up in ordinary matter. There particles also have an antimatter
are also six different kinds (called component... so there are quarks
'flavors') of quarks, but only two and anitquarks, protons and
can occur in ordinary matter ("up antiprotons, neutrons and
quark" and "down quark"). By the antineutrons, neutrinos and
way, the person who named it antineutrinos... the list goes on and
'quark' named it after his favorite on! Remember, the positron has a
type of cheese back in the day positive charge while the electron
(quark cheese, anyone?). has a negative charge. The
antiproton has a negative charge
There are several different and the proton has a positive
composite particles (particles that charge. The antineutron still has no
have an internal structure - charge (like the neutron), but is
meaning that you can still split it in made up of antiquarks instead of
half): baryons, mesons, and quarks.
positive pions. Baryons are larger
particles containing quarks, Nuclear Fusion and Fission
mesons contain a quark and an
antiquark, and a positive pion has In the 20th
one up quark and one anti-down century,
quark. There are hundreds of scientist
different kinds of baryons and figured out
mesons. that the core
of an atom
The carrier particles are the ones can break
that carry the force between the apart or join
particles. Some of these we together with others. If you split an
haven't really seen for ourselves - atom (called fission), you get
we're just guessing. They include: smaller parts and a whole lot of
the gluon (glues together quarks energy. When this happens in
inside a proton or neutron), the nature, it’s called radioactivity.
photon (carries the Unstable atoms spontaneously
electromagnetic charge), the break apart and release particles
graviton (our best guess as to what and energy.
causes gravity), and others.
Fusion is taking place inside the
Your head is probably about to sun. The sun is not on fire, like a
explode, so I'll leave you with just campfire or stove. So where does it
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