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Chapter 18: Problem 17

What is a quark?

Short Answer

Expert verified
A quark is an elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. They are described by their mass, charge, and spin, and come in six 'flavours' - up, down, strange, charm, bottom, top. Quarks combine to form composite particles called hadrons, such as protons and neutrons. Quarks are never found alone, and almost all matter is composed of quarks and leptons.

Step by step solution

01

Definition

A quark is a type of elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. Quarks combine to form composite particles called hadrons, the most stable of which are protons and neutrons, the components of atomic nuclei.
02

Characteristics

Quarks are described by their mass, charge, and spin. They come in six 'flavours' which are up, down, strange, charm, bottom, and top. Quarks are never found alone in nature and are always found in combinations.
03

Role in Physics

In the standard model of particle physics, quarks are considered elementary because they are not made of other particles. Quarks play a central role in the universe, as almost all matter is composed of quarks and leptons.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

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