What are hadrons?

A haedron (hadron) is a class of subatomic particles that are made up of quarks and antiquarks and is divided into the mesons (comprised of one quark and an antiquark) and the baryons (comprised of three quarks.) Quarks and antiquarks are the smaller subatomic elements that pair up to form hadrons. Hadrons are particularly reactive, meaning that they participate in strong reactions. The most well-known hadrons are the protons, which carry a positive charge, and neutrons, which carry a neutral charge, both of which are baryons.

Protons and neutrons reside in the nucleus, the small, dense center of an atom. Protons and neutrons differ both in their charge and in their makeup. Neutrons have a neutral charge (hence the name), and protons are a 1+ charge. Pions, composed of a quark and an antiquark, are considered mesons.

Hadrons are created by the high-energy collisions of subatomic particles. Hadrons are subject to forces of gravity, have short lives, comply with electromagnetic laws (if they are charged), and will break down due to weak or strong or electromagnetic forces.