What is the definition of a proton?

Answer 1

A proton is a part of an atom. The other parts of an atom are the neutron, and electrons. It's an electrically charged particle. It is positive. It is located within the nucleus of the atom, which is about one ten thousandth of the diameter of the atom itself but contains virtually all of the atom's mass. The number of protons in the nucleus determine the element; for example, if the nucleus contains 8 protons it is an oxygen atom. The protons are subtracted from the total atom mass, and therefore, the other mass are the neutrons.

A proton is one of the three basic "building blocks" of the atom (along with the neutron and electron). It is a subatomic particle with a unit positive charge. (The unit of charge is 1.602 x 10-19 coulomb.) It has a diameter of 1.6 to 1.7 x 10-15 meter. It's mass is about 1.6726 x 10-27 kilogram.

It is a fermion with a + 1/2 spin, and is, therefore, a baryon. It is composed of two up quarks and a down quark, and it is held together by the strong interaction (strong force). It is a nucleon, a particle of the atomic nucleus (with the neutron), and, as such will undergo mass deficit (along with any other nucleons) to fuse into an atomic nucleus. The resultant mass lost in fusion is the residual strong force, and this is the nuclear binding energy, nuclear glue, that holds an atomic nucleus together. The electrostatic repulsion between protons creates an upper limit on the size of an atomic nucleus because of the limits of this binding energy.

By itself, the proton is a hydrogen nucleus. It's discovery is generally credited to Ernest Rutherford (in 1918). It has an antiparticle called the antiproton.

The definition of the word proton is "a stable subatomic particle occurring in all atomic nuclei, with a positive electric charge equal in magnitude to that of an electron, but of opposite sign."

Answer 2

proton - an elementary particle that is present in all nuclei and carries a positive charge.

It is a charged subatomic particle, having an electrical charge of +1, found in the nucleus of an atom.

Answer 3

Protons are positively charged subatomic particles found inside the nucleus of an atom.

Answer 4

A proton is a positively charged particle that resides in the nucleus of an atom.

Answer 5

A proton is a particle in an atom with a positive electric charge.

Answer 6

A proton is a positively charged particle found in the nucleus of an atom. Each element has a specific number of protons in the nuclei of its atoms that differs from the other elements.

Answer 7

A proton is a subatomic particle found in the nucleus of an atom. It has a positive charge and is equal in magnitude to the charge of an electron, but opposite in sign.