Quark

A quark (/ˈkwɔːrk/ or /ˈkwɑːrk/) is an elementary particle an a fundamental constituent o matter. Quarks combine tae furm composite pairticles cried hadrons, the maist stable o which are protons an neutrons, the components o atomic nuclei. Due tae a phenomenon kent as color confinement, quarks are never directly observed or foond in isolation; thay can be foond anly within hadrons, sic as baryons (o which protons an neutrons are examples), an mesons. For this reason, much o what is kent aboot quarks haes been drawn frae observations o the hadrons themselves.

Thare are sax types o quarks, kent as flavors: up, doun, strange, charm, bottom, an tap. Up an doun quarks hae the lawest masses o aw quarks. The hivier quarks rapidly chynge intae up an doun quarks throu a process o pairticle decay: the transformation frae a heicher mass state tae a lawer mass state. Acause o this, up an doun quarks are generally stable an the maist common in the universe, whauras strange, charm, tap, an bottom quarks can anly be produced in heich energy collisions (sic as those involvin cosmic rays an in pairticle accelerators).