classification of particles

• hadrons are particles that feel the strong nuclear force. they are not fundamental particles - they're made up of smaller particles called quarks. the two types of hadrons are baryons and mesons, which are classified according to the number of quarks that make them up.
• examples of baryons are protons and neutrons. all baryons, except the proton, are unstable meaning they all decay to a proton.
• the baryon number is the number of baryons. baryons have a baryon number of +1, and antibaryons have a baryon of -1. baryum number is a quantum number that must be conserved in any interaction.
• leptons are fundamental particles and they do not feel the strong nuclear force. examples of leptons are electrons, neutrinos and muons (which are like heavy electrons). muons are unstable, and decay eventually into electrons. neutrinos have zero or almost zero mass, zero electric charge, and only take part in weak interactions.
• the lepton number is the number of leptons. there are different lepton numbers, the including electron lepton number and the muon lepton number.