Elementary particles

Have you ever heard of tiny little things called atoms? They make up everything around us, like our toys, food, and even our bodies!

Well, inside the atoms, there are even tinier things called elementary particles. These particles are so small that we can't even see them with our eyes or with a regular microscope!

There are three kinds of elementary particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons are positively charged, neutrons are neutral and electrons are negatively charged.

Protons and neutrons are found in the middle of the atom, in the nucleus. Electrons are found outside the nucleus, whizzing around like little planets in orbits.

Now, scientists have discovered even smaller particles within these elementary particles! These particles are called quarks for the proton and neutron, and leptons for the electrons.

There are six different types of quarks and six different types of leptons that each have their own special properties. Scientists use big machines, called particle accelerators, to study these particles and learn more about how they work.

So, while we can't see elementary particles with our eyes, they are the building blocks of everything around us, and scientists are always trying to learn more about them!