Standard Particles (SP) are created by the Emitter Object . We use this to control how the particles are created and some of their basic attributes such as speed, life, and so on. We then use particle Modifiers to add different behaviors to the simulation which include things such as wind or gravity or even rotation. We can use various different objects as our particles such as geometry or lights or even tracer objects. So, let's get cooking!
Go to Simulate | Particles | Emitter and click on play. Congratulations! You've just created your first particle simulation! Have a play around with the settings of Emitter, increase the Birthrate to create more particles, make the particles faster with the Speed setting. Don't be afraid, just give it a whirl. Remember, any setting you're curious about, simply right-click and go to Show Help. You'll also notice there is a Birthrate Editor and Birthrate...