What is the smallest component of matter?

Answer 1

Unless you are talking sub-atomic particles, the smallest part of matter is an atom.

The smallest subatomic particle is the electron (nearly 2000 lighter than the proton or neutron), and smaller yet are quarks, which are what make up protons and neutrons.

Atoms are made of protons, neutrons and electrons. Electrons are are a kind of lepton. Everything in the universe (including protons, neutrons, light and whatever else) is made of three kinds of elementary particles: Quarks, Leptons and Bosons. All matter is made of quarks and leptons, which are held together by bosons, which are associated with forces. There are four types of bosons- photons (electromagnetism, and and what light is made of), gluons (which hold quarks together) and plus bosons and zero bosons. There are 6 types of quark and 6 types of lepton, one of which is the electron. It is not known what quarks, leptons and bosons are broken up into, but ultimately it would make sense that everything is just made of energy in its most dissected state. It would not make sense for there to be any unbreakable particle as the ultimate small element of matter, because the fact that it is a physical tangible thing seems to suggest that it can be broken down further. Something to think about ey? if everything is just energy, how far fetched can any idea be? If thinking is done by controlling the flow of energy through our brains, and everything is energy, what are we capable of?

Answer 2

Matter on Earth is made of atoms which are made of subatomic particles, the smallest of which (by weight) is the electron. Smaller particles do exist (the neutrino, the photon) but they do not form a part of matter on Earth.

Answer 3

An atom is the smallest kind of matter. It makes up living and nonliving things.

Answer 4

The smallest known part is called a quark.

Answer 5

atom or quarks

Answer 6

atom

Answer 7

An atom

Answer 8

Atom?

Answer 9

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