Check this out…

To see the animation, click on the picture

Now..

…what if I could cut and cut…

…and cut and cut…

forever

ad infinitum

Oh, let’s just say a hell of a long time.

What would eventually happen?

Discuss it amongst

yourselves…

I’ll wait.

I don’t have much to do,

really.

I’m a head on a BOX!

Well…?

Did you come up

with some ideas?

What did you come up with?

OK.

Now here’s what I think…

I believethere

exists…

…at the smallest level…

…anINDIVISIBLE.

A thing that cannot be cut into smaller

pieces.

ÁTOMOS,as we say in

Greek.

If that were NOT

the case…

…then, after cutting for

an infinitely long time,

I would be left with nothing.

Zero.

Zilch.

Nada.

Since what I see around

me…

…this MATERIAL

world…

…cannot possibly be made out

of…

NOTHING

…there MUST be a

smallest thing!

An INDIVISIBLE.

INDIVISIBLES = ATOMS?

WRONG !! ✖INDIVISIBLES = ATOMS?

INDIVISIBLES = FUNDAMENTAL PARTICLES?

CORRECT ✔

INDIVISIBLES = FUNDAMENTAL PARTICLES?

CORRECT ✔

INDIVISIBLES = FUNDAMENTAL PARTICLES?

A particle is said to be FUNDAMENTAL

if it has no internal structure.

So how small is

SMALL?

PIONEER 10

Hello

HiHello

You’re probably wondering why we’re standing

here naked.

Hans, can you tell them?

Sure, Gloria

I would like the camera to

zoom in…

…so I can show you something REALLY small…

!!!??

…so I can show you something REALLY small…

On my face.

!!!??

Whew!On my face.

OK…

Begin!

Fruit fly: 3 mm (0.003 m)

Fruit fly: 3 mm (0.003 m)

Mites: 500 µm (0.0005 m)

Mites: 500 µm (0.0005 m)

Bacteria: 0.5 µm (0.000005 m)

Bacteria: 0.5 µm (0.000005 m)

Virus: 100 nm (0.0000001 m)

Virus: 100 nm (0.0000001 m)

Protein Molecule: 10 nm (0.00000001 m)

Protein Molecule: 10 nm (0.00000001 m)

String of Atoms: 2 nm (0.000000002 m)

String of Atoms: 2 nm (0.000000002 m)

Single Atom (NOT drawn to scale!!): 100 pm (0.0000000001 m)

proton1 fm

(0.000000000000001 m)

Single Atom (NOT drawn to scale!!): 100 pm (0.0000000001 m)

proton

neutron1 fm

(0.000000000000001 m)

1 fm (0.000000000000001 m)

Single Atom (NOT drawn to scale!!): 100 pm (0.0000000001 m)

electron

proton

neutron

< 1 am (0.000000000000000001 m)

1 fm (0.000000000000001 m)

1 fm (0.000000000000001 m)

Single Atom (NOT drawn to scale!!): 100 pm (0.0000000001 m)

Proton

Proton

?

Proton

??

Proton

??

?

Neutron

Neutron

?

Neutron

?

?

Neutron

??

?

Up Quark & Down Quark: < 1 am (< 0.000000000000000001 m)

All of the visible matter in the All of the visible matter in the UniverseUniverse

is made up of the following is made up of the following particles:particles:

The electron (The electron (ee))

All of the visible matter in the All of the visible matter in the UniverseUniverse

is made up of the following is made up of the following particles:particles:

The electron (The electron (ee))The up quark (The up quark (uu))

All of the visible matter in the All of the visible matter in the UniverseUniverse

is made up of the following is made up of the following particles:particles:

The electron (The electron (ee))The up quark (The up quark (uu))

The down quark (The down quark (dd))

All of the visible matter in the All of the visible matter in the UniverseUniverse

is made up of the following is made up of the following particles:particles:

The electron (The electron (ee))The up quark (The up quark (uu))

The down quark (The down quark (dd))

PLUS one more …PLUS one more …

All of the visible matter in the All of the visible matter in the UniverseUniverse

is made up of the following is made up of the following particles:particles:

…the pesky little neutrino:

…the pesky little neutrino:

≈ 1 ym (0.000000000000000000000001 m) *

* Neutrino size is energy-dependent. Stated size is for a 1 MeV particle

PARTICLES ARE EITHER:

PARTICLES ARE EITHER:

FUNDAMENTAL (meaning they have no internal structure)

PARTICLES ARE EITHER:

FUNDAMENTAL (meaning they have no internal structure)

OR COMPOSITE (meaning they are composed of some

combination of the fundamental particles)

PARTICLES ARE EITHER:

FUNDAMENTAL (meaning they have no internal structure)

OR COMPOSITE (meaning they are composed of some

combination of the fundamental particles)

THE ELECTRON, THE NEUTRINO AND THE QUARKS ARE FUNDAMENTAL.

PARTICLES ARE EITHER:

FUNDAMENTAL (meaning they have no internal structure)

OR COMPOSITE (meaning they are composed of some

combination of the fundamental particles)

THE ELECTRON, THE NEUTRINO AND THE QUARKS ARE FUNDAMENTAL.

ATOMS, NUCLEI, PROTONS, AND NEUTRONS—THESE ARE ALL COMPOSITE.

THE SIMPLEST ATOM

WE KNOW IS HYDROGEN.

THE SIMPLEST ATOM

WE KNOW IS HYDROGEN.

IT IS COMPOSED OF 4 FUNDAMENTAL PARTICLES:

THE SIMPLEST ATOM

WE KNOW IS HYDROGEN.

IT IS COMPOSED OF 4 FUNDAMENTAL PARTICLES:

THE ELECTRON +

2 UP QUARKS AND 1 DOWN QUARK

THE SIMPLEST ATOM

WE KNOW IS HYDROGEN.

IT IS COMPOSED OF 4 FUNDAMENTAL PARTICLES:

THE ELECTRON +

2 UP QUARKS AND 1 DOWN QUARK

The quarks are bound in the composite particle called the PROTON.

zooYes. Yes. These 4 particles make up all of the visible matter in the Universe.

zoo

electron neutrino up quark down quark

Yes. These 4 particles make up all of Yes. These 4 particles make up all of the visible matter in the Universe.the visible matter in the Universe.

zooYes. These 4 particles make up all of Yes. These 4 particles make up all of the visible matter in the Universe.the visible matter in the Universe.

And here’s some more information about these particles…And here’s some more information about these particles…

electron neutrino up quark down quark

NOTE: There are other fundamental matter particles, but it will not be necessary to deal with them for the purposes of this module. For instance, there are the force particles that transmit the four fundamental forces. In addition, there are particles that existed just after the Big Bang, but are now found only in cosmic rays or produced in particle accelerators (one of these particles will have a brief mention in the lesson on cosmic rays, “It Came From Outer Space”).

Thanks, old Greek guy!

Say good-bye,

Hans.

Thanks, old Greek guy!

Good-bye, Hans.

Say good-bye,

Hans.

What an idiot.

Good-bye, Hans.