A nucleon is a particle that makes up the nucleus of an atom. The term “nucleon” comes from the word “nucleus,” which refers to the central part of an atom. There are two types of nucleons: protons and neutrons. Protons have a positive charge, while neutrons have no charge. Both protons and neutrons are made up of quarks.
Nucleons are held together by the strong nuclear force, which is one of the four fundamental forces in nature. The strong nuclear force is responsible for keeping atoms together and for binding nuclei of stars and other astronomical objects and keeping them from flying apart. It’s also what gives atoms their stability.
The number of protons in a nucleus determines an element’s atomic number, which corresponds to its place on the periodic table of elements. The number of neutrons in a nucleus can vary, and this variation is what gives rise to isotopes—atoms with different numbers of neutrons but identical numbers of protons.
Nucleons are not indestructible, however. They can be broken apart by high-energy collisions, such as those that occur in particle accelerators or during cosmic ray interactions with matter.
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