Search Wiki

Neutrino

Fundamental subatomic particle with no electric charge.

neutrinoes

A neutrino is a fundamental subatomic particle with very little mass and no electric charge. It interacts only through the weak nuclear force and gravity. Neutrinos are produced in nuclear reactions, such as those occurring in the Sun and during supernova explosions.

Pronunciation

/njuːˈtrɪnoʊ/

Etymology

The term 'neutrino' comes from the Italian word meaning 'small neutral one'.

Explain Like I’m 5

Neutrinos are tiny particles that zoom through everything, and they don't have an electric charge like electrons do.

Fun Facts

Neutrinos can pass through the Earth without interacting with matter
Billions of neutrinos are passing through you right now
The study of neutrinos helps scientists understand the early universe

FAQ

What are neutrinos? They are fundamental particles with no electric charge
How do we know they exist? Their existence was predicted by Wolfgang Pauli and later confirmed through experiments
Are neutrinos massive? For a long time, scientists thought neutrinos had no mass, but now they know that they do have a very small mass

Hypernyms — Broader Categories

lepton elementary particle

Hyponyms — Specific Examples

electron neutrino muon neutrino tau neutrino

Holonyms — Wholes or Groups

standard model

Indexes

elementary particle fundamental particle subatomic particle

Related

Built by Tim Jones