When Hydrogen atoms fuse, how many quarks does the resultant Helium atom have ? My basic question is : HOW do the 2 protons "fuse" ? Are they still 2 separate entities, along with the 2 "New" neutrons that are also attached ? Do they "share" quantum particles like covalent electrons are "shared" ?Are they all 4 held together by the weak/strong and electromagnetic forces ? Not to mention, possibly Planck gravity ?
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Edit: I agree with all the commenters; you really need to put in more effort before asking.
how many quarks does the resultant Helium atom have?
You should first ask yourself, how many quarks does a proton have?
The answer is actually much more complicated than the extremely simplified stuff that is taught at school-level.
There are MANY MANY quarks and anti-quarks and gluons in a proton. For the simplified stuff, we never count the number of gluons, just like how we do not count photons in "number of matter particles". The quarks and anti-quarks mostly cancel out in such a calculation, leaving 3 excess quarks. That is how we arrive at the simplified stuff taught at school.
But then it automatically answers the Helium question: There will be 12 excess quarks in $^4\text{He}$.
Are they still 2 separate entities, along with the 2 "New" neutrons that are also attached ? Do they "share" quantum particles like covalent electrons are "shared" ?
Much more like covalent bonds than not. There are useful models where having separate identities are still quite good. You have to be much more precise with your question in order for the questions to even make sense and get definite answers.
Are they all 4 held together by the weak/strong and electromagnetic forces ?
Strong.
Not to mention, possibly Planck gravity ?
Not at all. Gravity is basically unimportant here.
HOW do the 2 protons "fuse" ?
This is much more complicated. You can either read Wikipedia and get a simplified answer, or spend months, or even years, on this question.
naturallyInconsistent
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