Meaning & use
baryons
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“baryons” is a form of “baryon”.
Meanings
nouncountabletechnicalphysics
Heavy subatomic particles, such as protons and neutrons, that are built from three quarks and make up most of the mass of ordinary matter.
Grammar: Countable and usually plural when speaking about matter in general; use the singular 'baryon' for one particle.
Patterns
- baryons are made of quarks
- a baryon consists of three quarks
Protons and neutrons are the baryons we meet in everyday chemistry.
Astronomers count the baryons in a galaxy by measuring how much ordinary matter it holds.
Unlike electrons, baryons feel the strong nuclear force.
nounpluraltechnicalphysics
In cosmology, the ordinary matter of the universe, as opposed to dark matter and dark energy.
Grammar: Used as a plural mass-like term in astronomy; it does not take 'a' in this sense.
Patterns
- the density of baryons
- baryons in the universe
Measurements of the cosmic microwave background tell us how many baryons the universe contains.
Dark matter outweighs the baryons by roughly five to one.
Models of galaxy formation must account for where the baryons ended up.
Word forms
| singular | baryon |
|---|
Common combinations
- baryon number
- Physicists say baryon number is conserved in most interactions.
- baryonic matter
- Stars and planets are examples of baryonic matter.
- ordinary baryons
- Ordinary baryons make up only a small share of the universe's energy.
- baryon acoustic oscillations
- Baryon acoustic oscillations give astronomers a cosmic ruler.
- heavy baryon
- A heavy baryon contains at least one charm or bottom quark.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nucleon
- A nucleon is specifically a proton or neutron, so it is narrower than 'baryon', which also covers heavier particles.
- hadron
- A hadron is any particle made of quarks, including mesons, so 'baryon' is the more precise term when you mean three-quark particles.
Opposites
Word family
- baryon noun
- The singular form, meaning one such particle.
- baryonic adjective
- Describing matter made of baryons, as in 'baryonic matter'.
- antibaryon noun
- The antimatter partner of a baryon.
Commonly confused: baryons or hadrons? baryons or leptons?
baryons vs hadrons
Hadrons include both baryons and mesons, so not every hadron is a baryon.
baryons vs leptons
Leptons such as electrons are not made of quarks and are not baryons.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'baryons' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Baryons' is a plural countable noun, so it takes a plural verb and no article: 'Baryons are made of three quarks.' Option 1 wrongly adds 'a' to a plural, option 2 uses a singular verb with a plural subject, and option 3 uses a singular noun with a plural verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “baryons”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.