protons

Definition

The positively charged cheerleaders of atomic nuclei, each consisting of two up quarks and one down quark in a perpetual threesome. These subatomic heroes determine what element you're dealing with—one proton makes hydrogen, 79 makes gold, and so on. Without protons, you'd just have a sad cloud of electrons with nothing to orbit around, which is basically the particle physics equivalent of unemployment.

Example Usage

The number of protons in an atom's nucleus defines its place on the periodic table, which is why hydrogen with its single proton is forever stuck at #1.

Source: Chemistry terminology via Free Dictionary API

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