Fundamental particles are the basic building blocks of matter and energy in the universe. They are particles that are not known to have any substructure and are considered indivisible. These particles make up everything in the universe, from atoms to subatomic particles, and they interact through fundamental forces.
There are two main categories of fundamental particles:
Quarks: Quarks are elementary particles that combine to form particles such as protons and neutrons, which, in turn, constitute atomic nuclei. Quarks have fractional electric charges and interact via the strong nuclear force mediated by gluons.
Leptons: Leptons are another class of elementary particles that include the electron, muon, and tau particles, as well as their associated neutrinos. Leptons have integer electric charges and interact through weak nuclear force and electromagnetism.
In addition to quarks and leptons, there are fundamental force-carrying particles called gauge bosons:
Photon: The photon is the force carrier of the electromagnetic force, mediating interactions between charged particles.
Gluon: Gluons are responsible for mediating the strong nuclear force that holds quarks together within protons, neutrons, and other particles.
W and Z Bosons: These particles mediate the weak nuclear force responsible for certain types of radioactive decay.
