Question

What is mean by matter is made up of discrete particles?

Answer 1

• Matter is a very complex term.
• A big piece of rock, is matter.
• An electron or proton, is matter too. Matter it's anything, that has mass and occupies space.

We cannot always say that all matter is made of particles. An electron, it's matter, but not made of particles. It is because, an elecron itself is the smallest particle.

• Particles are matter, that can be broken down to smaller forms of matter. A piece of rock is made of particles.
• This is because, rock can be broken to smaller parts, and further smaller to atoms, and finally to protons and elecrons.
• No further reduction is possible. This is because, if you try to break electrons or protons, they will change to energy, following Einstein equation.

So, all matter are not made of particles. Most matter that can be broken down to smaller forms of matter, called particles.