01Size1.00 fm
Proton
Three quarks bound into one of nature's most stable forms.
ParticleMicro-World
Loading…
Loading…
Picture this
A quark is so small that even if a single atom were blown up to the size of Earth, a quark inside it would still be no bigger than a marble in your hand.
Quarks are point-like particles bound together by the strong force. They build up protons and neutrons — and through them, every atom in your body. Quarks have never been seen alone; they always travel in tight groups, held together by gluons whose grip grows stronger the further they're pulled apart.
Glossary
Did you know?
Quarks come in six flavours — up, down, charm, strange, top, bottom — and three colour charges that have nothing to do with light. Physicists named them with deliberate humour.
Last updated 2026-05-17
You are here
Scale
The smallest known building block of matter.
Size
0.00100 fm
Tap a dot to preview it. Use the Open stop link to read its full page. Stops are arranged from smallest on the left to largest on the right.
