Review: The Proton
Category: Subatomic Particles
Author: Ernest Rutherford
Rating: 65%
The proton is a sub-atomic particle. All atoms include at least one proton, along with a given number of electrons and neutrons- of these three, commonly understood to be the composite particles of an atom, it is neither the largest nor smallest, with a weight of
1.672621777(74)×10^−27Kg. The proton resides in the core of the atom, with the neutron/s (if any), within the electron shell. A proton is composed of two up quarks and one down quark, held together by gluon-mediated strong force. It is stable on its own, and has an electric charge of +1e.
The proton is the mainstay of the atom, a solid and integral building block. It’s the sub-atomic equivalent of an iPod: everyone seems to have one. They’re less unpredictable than the electron, but more interesting than the neutron. They’re built to last as well: they don’t decay, and the strong force that holds them together is... strong.
So, the proton is pretty dependable- as far as we know. But this is where trouble lies: we can’t be sure whether protons decay or not. It has been hypothesised that they actually do, over a period of 10^36 years. No one has yet verified this- since 10^36 years is a long time, and also because a watched proton never decays.
There’s also the issue of space. The charge of the proton, from +/-0, is the same as that of an electron: 1. And yet the electron is about a thousand times smaller- where did all that space go? I’ve heard that it can be hard to stay positive sometimes, but this is ridiculous. Ergonomically, the proton is a particle with unresolved issues.
But the proton is undeniably successful- and, after all, gives the atomic number used to order elements of the periodic table. It doesn’t need electrons or neutrons- it can quite happily exclude either one, and still make either H+ or H-1. Obviously that wouldn’t make for a particularly interesting universe, but the possibility is there.
For this reason, I’m a fan of the proton. It doesn’t have to make jobs for electrons and neutrons, but it does- allowing them to support themselves. The proton is the altruist of the subatomic world, and I say credit where credit’s due. It takes up more space than the electron, but you get more for your money; and the intangible benefits are considerable. Bearing in mind the slight caveat of the unknown decay (or use-by) date, I do recommend this particle. The proton is a highly successful particle which no atom should- or, indeed, could possibly be- without.
