The W boson is a fundamental particle in the Standard Model of particle physics. It is responsible for mediating the weak nuclear force, which is one of the four fundamental forces in nature. The weak force is crucial for processes like nuclear fusion in stars and radioactive decay. There are two types of W bosons: W+ and W-, which carry positive and negative electric charge, respectively. These particles are much heavier than protons and neutrons, making them unstable and short-lived. They were first discovered in experiments at the CERN laboratory in the 1980s, confirming key predictions of the Standard Model.