What is Subatomic particle?
{{No sources|date=November 2024}} A '''subatomic particle''' is a [[particle]] smaller than an [[atom]]. Like atoms and [[molecules]], a subatomic particle is far too small to be seen with the eye. The subatomic particles that make atoms: [[proton]]s, [[neutron]]s, and [[electron]]s are the most commonly studied ones. The study of subatomic particles is called [[particle physics]]. These particles are often held together within an atom by one of the four fundamental [[Force (physics)|forces]] ([[gravity]], [[electromagnetic force]], [[strong force]], or [[weak force]]). Outside of the atom the particles often move very, very quickly- near the [[speed of light]] which is very, very fast (around 300,000 kilometers per second). [[File:Details of Subatomic Particles.png|thumb|563x563px|Details of composite subatomic particles in an atom]] Subatomic particles are divided into two groups, [[Baryon]]s and [[Lepton]]s. '''Baryons''' are made of [[Quark|quarks]] while Leptons are thought to be among the smallest particles, called [[elementary particle]]s. Baryons have a given Baryon number. In reactions, the Baryon number must be conserved, meaning that the result must have the same amount of Baryons as the amount put in. Baryonic particles are made up of a combination of 3 of the six quarks, which are among the smallest particles. The six quark types are up, down (making up protons and neutrons, respectively), strange, charm, top, and bottom. '''Leptons''' are generally much smaller than Baryons. This category includes electrons, [[Muon]]s, [[Tau]]s and [[neutrino]]s. Leptons are not made up of quarks and are not divisible. For every one of these types, there is also an [[antiparticle]]. Antiparticles have the same [[mass]] as their normal counterparts, except they have the opposite electric charge. Anti-matter and matter cannot exist near each other. Whenever matter and antimatter collide, they destroy each other with a huge release of [[energy]] equivalent to [[Albert Einstein#Mass-energy equivalence|E=mc<sup>2