Is an atom the smallest type of particle?

 

               There are many smaller particles, and more are being discovered. These very small particles are known as subatomic particles. The electron revolving around the atom, and the neutron and the proton that make up the nucleus, are all subatomic particles.

               Another type of subatomic particle is the positron. It is the same as an electron but with a positive electrical charge. If a positron collides with an electron they are both destroyed and form a shower of even smaller particles. Even neutrons and protons are thought to consist of even smaller particles, called quarks. Photons, gluons and bosons are other forms of subatomic particles, and there may be as many as 100 different types altogether.

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