Build a particle from quarks

Combine up, down and strange quarks into protons, neutrons and pions.

Interactive

electric charge1e

baryon number1

strangeness0

Quark 1

Quark 2

Quark 3

The math, with your numbers

Q = (+2/3) + (+2/3) + (-1/3) = 1

Every particle you can catch on its own has a whole-number charge, even though quarks carry thirds.

Try this

→Build a proton (u u d) and then a neutron. Check that the charges come out +1 and 0.
→Find a particle with charge +2.
→Try two quarks with no antiquark. Why isn't it allowed?
→Make a pion: one quark and one antiquark with total charge +1.

Want to know why it behaves like this?

The lesson “Particles & the Standard Model” explains it step by step: What is everything made of, all the way down?

Build a particle from quarks

Combine up, down and strange quarks into protons, neutrons and pions.

Build a particle from quarks

Interactive

electric charge1e

baryon number1

strangeness0

Quark 1

Quark 2

Quark 3

The math, with your numbers

Q = (+2/3) + (+2/3) + (-1/3) = 1

Every particle you can catch on its own has a whole-number charge, even though quarks carry thirds.

Try this

→Build a proton (u u d) and then a neutron. Check that the charges come out +1 and 0.
→Find a particle with charge +2.
→Try two quarks with no antiquark. Why isn't it allowed?
→Make a pion: one quark and one antiquark with total charge +1.

Want to know why it behaves like this?

The lesson “Particles & the Standard Model” explains it step by step: What is everything made of, all the way down?