The matter we see is made of atoms whose mass comes almost entirely from nuclei made of quarks, so quarks not electrons represent the solidity associated with matter. Their charges also come in unexpected thirds for no known reason, that then conveniently add or cancel when they combine into positive protons or neutral neutrons. One proton plus one electron then combined to form the first atom, of Hydrogen, and other atoms arose when neutrons joined protons in their nuclei, again for a currently unknown reason. Quarks and electrons are then the basis of all matter, so does the previous theory of how mass and charge arise in electrons also explain quarks? If not, it fails as a model of matter.
QR4.4.1 A Three-way Interaction
QR4.4.2 Filling a Plane
QR4.4.3 Quark Phases
QR4.4.4 The Strong Force
QR4.4.5 Protons and Neutrons
QR4.4.6 The Weak Force
QR4.4.7 The God Particle
QR4.4.8 Mass and Energy
QR4.4.9 Review