Nukleony

Nukleony is a term used in nuclear physics to refer to the particles that reside within the atomic nucleus. There are two types of nukleony: protons and neutrons. Protons carry a positive electric charge, while neutrons have no electric charge. Both protons and neutrons have approximately the same mass, which is significantly larger than the mass of an electron.

The number of protons in an atom's nucleus determines its atomic number and, consequently, its chemical element. For example, all atoms with one proton are hydrogen atoms, and all atoms with six protons are carbon atoms. The number of neutrons in the nucleus can vary for a given element, leading to different isotopes of that element. For instance, carbon-12 has six protons and six neutrons, while carbon-14 has six protons and eight neutrons.

Protons and neutrons are not fundamental particles; they are composed of smaller particles called quarks. Specifically, a proton is made up of two "up" quarks and one "down" quark, while a neutron consists of one "up" quark and two "down" quarks. The strong nuclear force is responsible for binding these quarks together to form protons and neutrons, and it is also the force that holds the nukleony together within the atomic nucleus, overcoming the electrostatic repulsion between the positively charged protons. The study of nukleony and their interactions is fundamental to understanding nuclear structure, nuclear reactions, and radioactive decay.