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 decay and fusion in stars. There are two types of W bosons: the W+ and the W-, which carry positive and negative electric charge, respectively. These particles are much heavier than protons and neutrons, making them unstable and short-lived. Their discovery in the 1980s at the CERN laboratory confirmed key predictions of the Standard Model.