ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Gauge boson

Gauge bosons are tiny particles that are responsible for making the fundamental forces of nature work. Think of them like tiny little messengers that go back and forth, telling other particles what to do.

There are four fundamental forces of nature: gravity, electromagnetic, strong nuclear, and weak nuclear. Each of these forces has its own type of gauge boson.

For example, the electromagnetic force has photons as its gauge boson. When you turn a light switch on, photons are released and carry the electrical energy to the light bulb.

The strong and weak nuclear forces have gluons and W and Z bosons as their gauge bosons, respectively. They are responsible for holding the nucleus of an atom together and for controlling the process of radioactive decay.

Overall, gauge bosons are like the messenger particles that help everything in the universe work together. Without them, things would be a bit more chaotic!