Protons are tiny particles just a femtometer across, but without them, atoms wouldn't exist. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Of all the subatomic particles that have any mass at all, the neutrino is the lightest by far. In comparison, the electron, itself a quantum featherweight, has a mass that is at least 500,000 times ...

The interest in exotic atoms arises from the fact that they often facilitate the most basic experimental strategy used in physics: changing a single parameter or component in an otherwise complex ...

They say you can never trust an atom because they make up everything. This week, we’re shrinking down and getting literally into the heart of the matter. We’ve covered the periodic table and all its ...

This lesson utilizes an adaptation of the board game Subatomic: An Atom Building Game to help students learn about the different parts that make up an atom. During their turn, players can choose to ...

When most of us picture an atom, we think about a small nucleus made of protons and neutrons orbited by one or more electrons. We view these electrons as point-like while rapidly orbiting the nucleus.

Helium is the simplest element in the periodic table with more than one particle in its nucleus, yet state of the art theory and experiments on it don't add up. When you purchase through links on our ...

To peer into the heart of the sun, a 13.7-meter-wide stainless steel shell lined with over 2,200 light-gathering sensors hides deep under a mountain in central Italy. Known as the Borexino experiment, ...

Physicists have created the first-ever atomic vortex beam — a swirling tornado of atoms and molecules with mysterious properties that have yet to be understood. By sending a straight beam of helium ...