Nucleons

Most recent answer: 10/22/2007

Q:
What is a nucleon
- Arthur (age 18)
Kelvin Grove State College, Australia
A:
Hi Arthur,

The word "nucleon" is a term which refers to both protons and neutrons, the constituents of atomic nuclei. A proton is a nucleon, and so is a neutron.

There are also excited states of protons and neutrons which can be produced in high-energy physics experiments. These may be called nucleons too, or more appropriately "nucleon resonances", as long as the number and types of quarks are the same as those in a proton or neutron.

Tom

(published on 10/22/2007)