RE: What is Meant by "Charge" for Elementary Particles?
February 7, 2016 at 1:59 pm
(This post was last modified: February 7, 2016 at 2:05 pm by Alex K.)
Purely mathematically, the charge is determined by how a particle behaves under a certain symmetry transformation. It's kind of hard to put into words without doing the maths. In more physics-like terms, electrical charge tells you how much a particle interacts with photons, i.e. light. The sign of the charge (whether it is negative or positive) only shows up when two bodies exchange virtual photons. If they have like charge, the exchange of virtual photons makes them repel, otherwise the virtual photons make them attract.
Negative charge does not have to come from electrons, among the Fermions also the muons and tauons carry -1 elementary charge, as well as the down, strange and bottom quarks all carry negative charge -1/3.
Negative charge does not have to come from electrons, among the Fermions also the muons and tauons carry -1 elementary charge, as well as the down, strange and bottom quarks all carry negative charge -1/3.
The fool hath said in his heart, There is a God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psalm 14, KJV revised edition
