What are Nucleons?
Nucleons — protons and neutrons — are atomic particles that make up the majority of mass in the matter around us. Atoms — the building blocks of everything — are made of up nucleons, that is, protons and neutrons, and electrons, which orbit the nucleus. An atom can be viewed as a miniature solar system, with “planets” (electrons) orbiting a central “star” (the nucleus, composed of nucleons). Electrons only have 1/1836 the mass of protons, and 1/1837 the mass of neutrons. Neutrons and protons have about the same mass. Nucleons are rarely found independently — they are usually tightly locked in the nucleus of atoms. They are held together by the strongest force in the universe, called (fittingly) the strong force. The strong force is about 100 times stronger than the electromagnetic force, but it only operates on extremely tiny distances — the scale of nucleons. But when its power is released, by breaking or fusing together atomic nuclei, the results are amazing — as in the case o
