Particle

[Corillian]

What is the smallest particle which we know exists, i.e. not theoretical

 

For me, the smallest particle is a quark, that i know.

[Klaynos]

You're going to have to define what you mean by small first. Quarks are fundemental particles though, and have been detected I think.

[RyanJ]

I thought you couldn't actually detect an individual quark (or was that observe) due too the confinement property of a quark?

[Corillian]

Don't ask, me, i know quarks exist, but not much else

[Klaynos]

I thought you couldn't actually detect an individual quark (or was that observe) due too the confinement property of a quark?

 

Depends on how you define the word detect... There is significant evidence from particle accelerators for their existence. I don't think they've ever been seen individually though, but I'm not a particle physicist...

 

But depending on your use of the word small you could say electrons or muons are smaller.

 

And neutrinos are nearly definitely smaller...

[jdurg]

To me, it still blows my mind that we've been able to visually see individual atoms thanks to electron microscopy. No matter how many times I see it, I'm still blown away.