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The up quark is a fundamental particle that, along with the down quark, forms protons and neutrons. It carries an electric charge of +2/3 e, where e is the elementary charge. Protons are composed of two up quarks and one down quark, resulting in a net charge of +e. Neutrons are made of one up quark and two down quarks, giving them a net charge of zero. These quarks have a spin of 1/2, and their spins align to give protons and neutrons their observed spin of 1/2. Up and down quarks are the lightest of the six known quark flavors.1

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