Quark

Aquark(/ˈkwɔːrk/or/ˈkwɑːrk/) is anelementary particlean a fundamental constituent omatter.Quarks combine tae furmcomposite pairticlescriedhadrons,the maist stable o which areprotonsanneutrons,the components oatomic nuclei.Due tae a phenomenon kent ascolor confinement,quarks are never directly observed or foond in isolation; thay can be foond anly withinhadrons,sic asbaryons(o which protons an neutrons are examples), anmesons.For this reason, much o what is kent aboot quarks haes been drawn frae observations o the hadrons themselves.

Thare are sax types o quarks, kent asflavors:up,doun,strange,charm,bottom,antap.Up an doun quarks hae the lawestmasseso aw quarks. The hivier quarks rapidly chynge intae up an doun quarks throu a process opairticle decay:the transformation frae a heicher mass state tae a lawer mass state. Acause o this, up an doun quarks are generally stable an the maist common in theuniverse,whauras strange, charm, tap, an bottom quarks can anly be produced inheich energycollisions (sic as those involvincosmic raysan inpairticle accelerators).