color charge

Color charge is a property of quarks and gluons that determines how they interact via the strong nuclear force, which binds atomic nuclei together. It’s analogous to electric charge but with three types—red, green, and blue—rather than positive or negative. These “colors” are not related to visual colors but are a way to describe the strong interaction. Quarks must combine into "color-neutral" particles, like protons and neutrons, meaning their color charges cancel out. Gluons are the force carriers that exchange color charges, mediating the strong force. This concept helps explain the stability and structure of matter at a fundamental level.