Nuclear Physics
Nuclear physics is the branch of science which looks inside atoms. It looks at the nucleus, and what effect different interactions have on it.
A nucleus sits at the centre of an atom. It was only found in 1911 by New Zealand physicist Ernest Rutherford. The nucleus contains 2 types of particles known as neutrons and protons.
The proton has a positive electric charge. The neutron has no charge at all. Between them, they make up most of the mass of an atom as the surrounding electrons are tiny in comparison.
Particle
- Sub-atomic Particles
Particles come in different sizes – some are so small that they make up atoms - like electrons. We call these sized particles “sub-atomic”. These also include protons and neutrons.
But these are made of even smaller particles called quarks!
Particle physics is the branch of science which studies these small particles. They include photons, the particles which also make up light.