So yeah, protons and neutrons have 3 quarks, with spins, and rgb colors… what’s all of that?
In: Physics
**Explanation #1**
Matter is made of molecules.
Molecules are made of atoms.
Atoms are made of protons, neutrons, and electrons.
Protons and neutrons are made of quarks.
As far as science knows today, particle physics stops there. We have not been able to confirm any more elementary particles beyond quarks and electrons.
Note: Obviously, particle physics is a *lot* more complicated than that. E.g. quarks and electrons are a type of elementary particle called fermions which is different from another set of elementary particles called bosons, and why and how they’re different is complex, but the bottom line is the various sorts of bosons (photons, gluons, etc.) are not more or less fundamental or elementary than the various sorts of fermions (quarks, electrons). So “it stops there” is still accurate for ELI5.
(Please don’t bring up string theory.)
**Explanation #2**
In the *Star Trek* universe, Quark’s (with an apostrophe) are a franchised chain of drinking establishments (known officially as “Quark’s Bar, Grill, Gaming House and Holosuite Arcade”) with 21 locations across the Alpha Quadrant . . . and a “Quark’s Express” on the Bolian homeworld. Other related businesses included “Uncle Quark’s Youth Casino” and “Quark’s Starfleet Experience Bar & Grill.”
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