Centimeter

A unit of length in the metric system that is 1/100 (or 0.01) of a meter.

Charm Quark

One of the six types (flavors) of quarks. It is the name of the intermediate mass quark with positive electric charge. Patti is shown here as a charm quark.

Chemical Bond

An attraction between atoms and molecules due to electric charge. Opposite electric charges are held together by electromagnetic force, this attraction that results from the electromagnetic force is called a 'chemical bond'. Some materials have more or stronger 'bonds' than others.

Color

In particle physics this is the name for a property that all quarks have. It refers to the strong force that attracts quarks to each other depending on what color they have (red, blue, or green). This force is transmitted by force particles called gluons. Particles will be stable only when the colors add up to give "white", like the primary colors in art class.

Conductors

Materials that allow electrons to move freely between atoms and molecules (e.g. copper).

The metal on the outside of a car is made of conductor.

Current

The flow of electric charge through matter, such as a conductor or semi-conductor.