Where Do Hadron Come from?

A hadron is any particle that is made from quarks, anti-quarks and gluons. (If you want to learn more about quarks and gluons, start here.) The most famous example of a hadron is a proton, which I have described in detail here, and I would suggest you read this first if you are interested in hadrons.

Where does the word hadron come from?

The quarks are held together by the 'strong force' (yes, that is what it is called, for hopefully obvious reasons!), much in the same way that the electromagnetic force holds molecules together. This helps explain the name- the word hadron comes from the Greek hadros, meaning 'strong' or 'robust'.

What makes up a hadron?

Hadron, any member of a class of subatomic particles that are built from quarks and thus react through the agency of the strong force. The hadrons embrace mesons, baryons (e.g., protons, neutrons, and sigma particles), and their many resonances.