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Particles (small size i.e. size of about 10-10m or less) which form an element or compound i.e. "Atoms" or "Molecules" are reffered to as "Elementary Particles".
Basically the term is referred to those small particles which which can't be seen with naked eyes or in Visible Wavelength of light*. ( hence viewed by using electron microscope and oil film method etc.)
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 15y agoIf they're elementary, they consist of themselves. That's basically what "elementary" means: they're the simplest particles, so they're not "made of" anything, they just ARE. According to string theory, everything is really "strings" vibrating in 10 or possibly 11 dimensions. However, as of yet no one's actually demonstrated that string theory is anything more than an intriguing mathematical game.
Wiki User
∙ 7y agoI suppose that you think to neutrinos.
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How can particles be without mass?
All particles that move slower than the speed of light have a "rest mass" or "invariant mass" - and that means, almost all particles. One of the few particles that does NOT have a rest mass is the photon, since it moves at the speed of light. It does have energy, and therefore (by mass-energy equivalence) it also has mass, but this is not "rest mass" and is often not counted as mass.
What will happen if you increase the mass in light?
Photons ('particles' of light) have zero rest mass. When they move at the speed of light (the normal situation) they do have momentum due to the relativistic nature of the Universe. If we were to hypothesize light particles with mass the development of the Universe would be entirely different.
Can a sub atomic particle have no mass?
Yes. Neither photons nor gluons have a rest mass. Assuming gravitons exist, they would also be massless. The only gauge particles that we know of that have mass are the W and Z bosons, which are the gauge particles for the weak force. (it's possible that "dark energy" is a fifth force with its own gauge particles; if so, these gauge particles could be either massless or not).The mass of neutrinos is so small that for a long time it wasn't known whether they were massless or not. (The observation of neutrino oscillation tells us that they do have mass; we still don't know exactly what their masses are, we just know it can't be precisely zero.)All subatomic particles, even photons and gluons, have a ''relativistic'' mass, however. This is their energy expressed as a mass-equivalent (according to E = mc2).
Are alpha particles big or small?
Absolutely small ... they're the nucleus of a helium atom (2protons & 2 neutrons) - But they are gigantic as compared to a beta particle ... which is just a free electron. - Note that gamma rays don't have any (rest) mass ... they're just radiation.
A particle of electromagnetic radiation with no mass that carries a quantum of energy?
Bear in mind that anything that has energy also necessarily has some amount of mass, however small, in accordance with the famous equation e = mc2. Photons are said to have no rest mass, but since they are never at rest that is a purely theoretical characteristic. Photons have no mass other than the small amount to which their energy content is equivalent.
How can particles exist without mass?
People are sometimes confused by the assertion that photons, neutrinos, or other particles have a rest mass of zero. These particles are never at rest, so their rest mass is a purely theoretical concept. All particles have mass, there are no exceptions. It can be a very small amount of mass, as is the case for a photon, but there is some mass. A photon can also be described as being composed of energy, but remember that there is a mass-energy equivalence, as described by Einstein's famous equation, e=mc2. If a particle has energy, it therefore also has some amount of mass.
What type of mass is light?
Light 'particles' (photons) have no rest mass.
What subatomic particles have a mass of 0?
The photon. This refers to the "rest mass"; since the photon has energy, it also has an associated mass. But the "rest mass" or "invariant mass" is zero.
How can particles be without mass?
All particles that move slower than the speed of light have a "rest mass" or "invariant mass" - and that means, almost all particles. One of the few particles that does NOT have a rest mass is the photon, since it moves at the speed of light. It does have energy, and therefore (by mass-energy equivalence) it also has mass, but this is not "rest mass" and is often not counted as mass.
Which particle has the least amount of mass?
The 'rest mass' of the photon is zero ... but the photon is never at rest, and it has plenty of mass at the speed of light, at which it is always traveling. so that let's the photon out. Amongst particles that actually have rest mass, but not much of it, the neutrino probably has the least.
Is there any object in universe without gravitational force?
Every single thing in the universe that has mass will have gravity (although in some cases it is a really small amount). Although, there has been some theory as to the existence of dark matter (matter which has no mass at all, and is sort of an anti-mass).
What will happen if you increase the mass in light?
Photons ('particles' of light) have zero rest mass. When they move at the speed of light (the normal situation) they do have momentum due to the relativistic nature of the Universe. If we were to hypothesize light particles with mass the development of the Universe would be entirely different.
What is the smallest particle that makes up a given type of matter?
In quantum mechanics the geometrical dimension of a particles is not exactly defined. An elementary particle (like an electron or a neutrino) is represented by a probability cloud and the cloud dimension (for example the volume where the probability is higher than a certain value) depends on the type of problem. For example the cloud representing an electron bounded to a proton in an hydrogen atom is very different from the dimension of the wave packer representing a free electron, whose dimension depends on the average electron velocity. An alternative possibility to compare different particles is to compare their mass. Since the relativistic principle of dependence of the mass on velocity holds (that is a particle increases the mass while going speeder and speeder) we have to look at a particle so called "rest mass" that for an elementary fermion like an electron is the mass as measured in a reference where the particle is still. If we use this definition, gauge bosons like photons or gravitons, that have zero rest mass, are the particles with the smallest rest mass. Their mass however is never really zero (otherwise they would not exist) since they cannot be at rest: a photon for example in every possible reference system always moves at light speed. Interpretation of the mass of antimatter is also interesting, but seems to me out of the scope of this brief answer.
What is energy matter in science terms?
Energy and matter are the complete contents of our Universe. Matter is any particles that have a rest mass. Energy includes matter, as rest mass is just a particular type of energy. Energy is the potential to do work.
How is the mass and charge of a proton best described?
Proton rest-mass . . . 1.67 x 10-27 kg Proton charge . . . . . +1 elementary charge (1.60 x 10-19 coul)
What is smaller than electron?
It is a very hard question to answer because the visualisation of an electron is very counter-intuitive. When we imagine an electron, we think of something like a very little steel ball. It does not look like it. Actually we can give a size to a proton because it is made of other particles (Quarks) therefore we have something to compare it to. however, the electron, and the quarks at the same time, are elementary particles and up to today, we have no means to compare it to anything.
Can a sub atomic particle have no mass?
Yes. Neither photons nor gluons have a rest mass. Assuming gravitons exist, they would also be massless. The only gauge particles that we know of that have mass are the W and Z bosons, which are the gauge particles for the weak force. (it's possible that "dark energy" is a fifth force with its own gauge particles; if so, these gauge particles could be either massless or not).The mass of neutrinos is so small that for a long time it wasn't known whether they were massless or not. (The observation of neutrino oscillation tells us that they do have mass; we still don't know exactly what their masses are, we just know it can't be precisely zero.)All subatomic particles, even photons and gluons, have a ''relativistic'' mass, however. This is their energy expressed as a mass-equivalent (according to E = mc2).
