Answer to Question #210246 in Physics for han

Question

Some subatomic particles are classifed as hadrons.There are 2 classes of hadrons.

Discuss the nature of hadrons 

your answer should inclue the identifiying properties of hadrons , the structure of a hadron in each class and a discussion of the stability of free hadrons

Answer 1

In particle physics, a hadron is a subatomic composite particle made of two or more quarks held together by the strong force in a similar way as molecules are held together by the electromagnetic force. Most of the mass of ordinary matter comes from two hadrons: the proton and the neutron.

Hadrons are categorized into two families: baryons, made of an odd number of quarks – usually three quarks – and mesons, made of an even number of quarks – usually one quark and one antiquark. Protons and neutrons (which make the majority of the mass of an atom) are examples of baryons; pions are an example of a meson. "Exotic" hadrons, containing more than three valence quarks, have been discovered in recent years. There are several more exotic hadron candidates, and other colour-singlet quark combinations that may also exist.