What kind of small objects composes much of the universe

Question: What kind of small objects composes much of the universe

Asked by mnasser to Jo, Mark, timcraggs on 24 Jun 2010 in Categories: General.
- Tim Craggs answered on 24 Jun 2010:
  
  Matter is made up of atoms. Atoms are made up of other small fundamental particles. In the nucleus of the atom, you find protons and neutrons, and electrons orbit around this nucleus. But the protons and neutrons are themselves made up of quarks.
  
  It is interesting that the word atom comes from the Greek word for indivisible. It was thought for a long time that atoms were themselves the smallest units of matter, but as we have discovered, they are actually made up of other, even smaller particles.
  
  Pretty cool!
- Joanna Buckley answered on 24 Jun 2010:
  
  Hiya mnasser 🙂
  
  Oooh, depends how small you mean. Fundemental particles are the smallest thing. They are the basic building blocks of the universe from which all other particles are made. That’s *the* smallest. Up from that there’s atoms and then lots of atoms make up the things we see.
  
  But get this… if you weighed everything in existence (all the matter) that only adds up to 5 %. Most of the universe is composed of other stuff which scientists are yet to identify. It seems strange that we can lose 95 % of the universe but there we go. I’m always losing my keys 🙂

Question: What kind of small objects composes much of the universe