How atom and its sub-atomic particles are useful?

    

     The discovery of the atom, proton, neutron, and electron were significant turning points in the history of science. Sub-atomic particles are classified into elementary particles and composite particles. Elementary particles are composed of quarks, which comprise protons and neutrons. Composite particles are composed of protons, neutrons, mesons, baryons, and neutrons, each composed of two up quarks and one down quark.

Subatomic particles have numerous applications in daily life. As our knowledge of these particles deepens, future applications of subatomic particles are likely to increase.

A fundamental on Atom and sub-atomic particles:

·           Atoms are the fundamental units of matter. Protons, neutrons, and electrons are the three subatomic building blocks that make them up.

The atom's nucleus contains positively charged protons, which are particles.

·        Neutrons are charged in a neutral manner and are also present in the atom's nucleus.

·        Electrons are external to the atom's nucleus and are negatively charged particles.

The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom determines its element. As an example, all carbon atoms have six protons in their nucleus. Isotopes of the same element can exist because the number of neutrons in an atom's nucleus might differ. As an illustration, while carbon-14 contains 6 protons and 8 neutrons, carbon-12 has 6 protons and 6 neutrons.

Each shell in which the electrons in an atom's orbitals are grouped has a fixed number of electrons. Up to two electrons can fit into the first shell, eight electrons into the second, 18 electrons into the third, and so on.

The principles of quantum mechanics control the interactions of the subatomic particles in an atom. These principles, which differ greatly from those of classical physics, explain why atoms act in the manner that they do.

There are other subatomic particles like photons, neutrinos, and quarks that exist in addition to the three subatomic particles stated above. These particles are not found in atoms, yet they are less fundamental than protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Discovery of Atom and Sub-atomic particles:

In the history of science, the discoveries of the atom, proton, neutron, and electron were all significant turning points.

 Democritus, a Greek philosopher, initially hypothesized the atom in the fifth century BC. But scientists didn't start to have a more precise knowledge of the atom until the 1800s. J.J. Thomson's discovery of the electron in 1897 demonstrated that atoms are composed of smaller particles rather than solid spheres.

Ernest Rutherford made the discovery of the proton in 1917. In an experiment, Rutherford irradiated a tiny sheet of gold foil with alpha particles. He discovered that while a small percentage of the alpha particles were deflected back, the majority of them flowed straight through the foil. This demonstrated that the atom has a compact, tiny nucleus that is today understood to be composed of protons.

James Chadwick made the neutron discovery in 1932. Chadwick discovered a new form of the particle that was released when he bombarded the radioactive material beryllium with alpha particles while researching this. Chadwick gave this particle, which had a neutral charge, the name neutron.

Our grasp of atomic structure and the makeup of matter is largely thanks to the discoveries of the atom, proton, neutron, and electron. These findings, which have significantly impacted our understanding of the cosmos, are still crucial in many scientific disciplines, such as physics, chemistry, and biology.

The discovery of the atom, proton, neutron, and electron is summarized in the following table:

                      

Particle	Discovered by	Year
Atom	Democritus	5th century BC
Electron	J.J. Thomson	1897
Proton	Ernest Rutherford	1917
Neutron	James Chadwick	1932

Sub-atomic particles: it's Types and Application

 Type of sub-atomic particles

Elementary particles and composite particles are the two primary categories of subatomic particles.

The fundamental building elements of matter are elementary particles. They cannot be formed or destroyed since they are not composed of smaller particles. The Standard Model's elementary particles are:

 Hadrons, the particles that makeup protons and neutrons, are constructed from quarks. There are six different sorts of quarks: top, bottom, odd, charm, and up.

Leptons are particles that are not hadrons, and leptons are their fundamental constituents. Leptons come in six different varieties: muon, electron, tau, electron neutrino, muon neutrino, and tau neutrino.

Two or more elementary particles combine to form composite particles. Despite not being essential, they are still crucial for comprehending the composition of matter. A few examples of composite particles are protons, neutrons, mesons, baryons, and neutrons, which are each composed of two up quarks and one down quark. Neutrons are also composed of two down quarks and one up quark.

There are numerous additional particles, including the Higgs boson and the gluons, that have been seen in addition to these two primary categories of subatomic particles. Although their exact nature is still unknown, these particles are crucial to comprehending the forces that bind matter.

Application of sub-atomic particles 

There are numerous uses for subatomic particles in daily life. The following are some of the most popular applications:

• Electronics: Transistors, diodes, and other electronic components are made with the help of electrons. Computers, radios, televisions, and other electronic gadgets cannot operate without these parts.
•  Medical imaging: Radioactive isotopes are utilized in procedures including X-rays, CT scans, and PET scans in the field of medicine. Without requiring surgery, these treatments let doctors examine the body.
• Nuclear power: Nuclear power plants produce electricity using the energy generated when uranium atoms fission. Although it is a safe and effective kind of energy, nuclear power also generates radioactive waste.
• Particle accelerators: Particle accelerators are used to investigate the interactions of subatomic particles. Additionally, radioactive isotopes are created using these accelerators for industrial and medical uses.
• Cosmic rays: High-energy particles from space constantly pelt Earth with cosmic rays. These particles can be utilized to investigate the universe's structure and the characteristics of dark matter.
•  Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): MRI utilizes radio waves and a strong magnetic field to produce precise images of the inside organs and tissues of the body.
•  Proton or other particle beams are used in particle beam therapy, a form of radiation treatment, to kill cancer cells.
•  Ion implantation: Ion implantation is a technique for adding particular atoms to a substance. This can be used to enhance the material's strength or conductivity, for example.
•  The production of semiconductors: Semiconductors are crucial parts of electronic gadgets. To produce semiconductor crystals with the required qualities, subatomic particles are employed in the production process.

These are only a handful of the numerous applications of subatomic particles in daily life. Future applications of these particles are likely to increase as our knowledge of them deepens.