What is Proton ?

The discovery of the proton, neutron , and electron revolutionized the way scientists viewed the atom. Recent research has shown that protons are themselves made up of even smaller particles called quarks and gluons.

Protons and neutrons are found in the nucleus, while electrons are found in a much greater volume around the nucleus. The nucleus represents less than 1% of the atom's total volume.

The proton's mass and charge have both been determined. The mass is 1.673 × 10-24 g. The charge of a proton is positive, and is assigned a value of +1. The electron has a –1 charge, and is about 2,000 times lighter than a proton. In neutral atoms, the number of protons and electrons are equal.

The number of protons (also referred to as the atomic number ) determines the chemical identity of an atom. Each element in the periodic table has a unique number of protons in its nucleus.

The processes involving changes in the number of protons are referred to as nuclear reactions. In essence, a nuclear reaction is the transformation of one element into another.

A proton is found to consist of two "up" quarks, each with a +2/3 electric charge , and one "down" quark, with a -1/3 electric charge. The individual quarks are held together by particles called gluons. The up and down quarks are currently believed to be two of the three fundamental particles of all matter.

Atoms consist of smaller particles called protons, neutrons, and electrons. Here is the definition of a proton, its electric charge, where it’s found in the atom, and a collection of proton facts.

Proton Definition

A proton is a subatomic particle with a mass defined as 1 and a charge of +1 (positive charge). A proton is indicated by either the symbol p or p+. The nucleus of every atom contains protons. The number of protons of an atom of an element is its atomic number.

Because both protons and neutrons are found in the atomic nucleus, they are collectively known as nucleons.

While the positive electrical charge of protons causes them to repel each other, when protons and neutrons get close enough to each other, the strong nuclear force overcomes electrostatic repulsion.

This allows them to bind together. Protons, like neutrons, are hadrons. A proton consists of still smaller subatomic particles called quarks. Each protons is composed of three quarks (2 up quarks and 1 down quark).

Word Origin

The term “proton” is a Greek word that means “first.” Ernest Rutherford first used the term in 1920 to describe the nucleus of hydrogen. Although protons weren’t named until the 20th century, the existence of the proton was theorized in 1815 by William Prout.

Examples of Protons

Free protons exist. The nucleus of a hydrogen atom or the H+ ion is an example of a proton. Regardless of the isotope, each atom of hydrogen has 1 proton; each helium atom contains 2 protons; each lithium atom contains 3 protons and so on.

Proton Properties

Because opposite charges attract each other, protons and electrons are attracted. Like charges repel each other, so two protons exert repulsion on each other.

A proton is a subatomic particle, symbol p or p+, with a positive electric charge of +1e elementary charge and a mass slightly less than that of a neutron. Protons and neutrons, each with masses of approximately one atomic mass unit, are collectively referred to as "nucleons".

The amount of attraction between protons and electrons is equal in strength to the amount of repulsion between two electrons.

One or more protons are present in the nucleus of every atom; they are a necessary part of the nucleus. The number of protons in the nucleus is the defining property of an element, and is referred to as the atomic number (represented by the symbol Z). Since each element has a unique number of protons, each element has its own unique atomic number.

The amount of attraction between protons and electrons is equal in strength to the amount of repulsion between two electrons.

Protons are stable particles that do not decay into other particles. However, some grand unified theories (GUTs) predict protons decay within 1031 and 1036 years.

Protons are stable particles that do not decay into other particles. However, some grand unified theories (GUTs) predict protons decay within 1031 and 1036 years.

Free protons are common, often formed when sufficient energy is available to separate protons from electrons. Free protons are found in plasma. About 90 percent of cosmic rays consist of protons.

The word proton is Greek for "first", and this name was given to the hydrogen nucleus by Ernest Rutherford in 1920. In previous years, Rutherford had discovered that the hydrogen nucleus (known to be the lightest nucleus) could be extracted from the nuclei of nitrogen by atomic collisions.[3] Protons were therefore a candidate to be a fundamental particle, and hence a building block of nitrogen and all other heavier atomic nuclei.

The radioactive decay of free neutrons (which are unstable) may produce protons, electrons, and antineutrinos.

A proton is a subatomic particle found in the nucleus of every atom. The particle has a positive electrical charge, equal and opposite to that of the electron. If isolated, a single proton would have a mass of only 1.673 ? 10-27 kilogram, just slightly less than the mass of a neutron.

The number of protons in an element's nucleus is called the atomic number.  This number gives each element its unique identity.  In the atoms of any particular element, the number of protons in the nuclei is always the same.  An atom of simple hydrogen has a nucleus consisting of a single proton all by itself.  The nuclei of all other elements nearly always contain neutrons in addition to protons.