How many elementary particles are there?

In summary, the standard model includes 6 quarks and 6 antiquarks, 6 leptons and 6 antileptons, and 5 bosons (W+, W-, Z, photon, gluon). However, according to Griffith's "Introduction to Elementary Particles," there are actually 12 leptons, 36 quarks, and 12 mediators. The remaining 24 quarks and 7 bosons can be accounted for with color being as good a charge as electric charge, a factor 3 on quarks, and a factor 9 on gluons minus one color scalar gluon. The Higgs boson and graviton are the only other fundamental bosons mentioned, but they have not yet
  • #1
ehrenfest
2,020
1
I am confused. I thought that the standard model included 6 quarks and 6 antiquarks, 6 leptons and 6 antileptons and 5 bosons (W+,W-,Z,photon,gluon).

However in Griffith's "Introduction to Elementary Particles" (on page 48) he says that there are "12 leptons, 36 quarks, 12 mediators".

I am thinking of the t,b,u,d,s,c and their antiparticles for the quarks.

So can someone please account for the remaining 24 quarks and the remaining 7 bosons?
 
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  • #2
ehrenfest said:
So can someone please account for the remaining 24 quarks and the remaining 7 bosons?
Color is as good a charge as electric charge. You miss a factor 3 on quarks, and a factor 9 on gluons minus one color scalar gluon.
 
  • #3
Higg's Boson and graviton are the only other fundamental bosons I've heard of, and they're not even verified yet.

Oh, if you count the 8 gluons it works out. Der...
 
  • #4
fedaykin said:
Higg's Boson and graviton are the only other fundamental bosons I've heard of, and they're not even verified yet.
As mentioned by the OP, the photon, the Ws and the Z are other gauge bosons. Those are established beyond doubt.
 
  • #5
Yeah, I wish I could have deleted that post. For the future, I promise to be less impulsive.
 

1. How many elementary particles are currently known to exist?

As of now, there are 17 confirmed elementary particles in the Standard Model of particle physics. These include 6 quarks, 6 leptons, and 5 bosons.

2. Are there any undiscovered elementary particles?

Yes, there are several hypothesized elementary particles that have not yet been confirmed by experiments. These include the Higgs boson, graviton, and sterile neutrinos.

3. Can elementary particles be broken down into smaller components?

No, elementary particles are considered to be the most fundamental building blocks of matter and cannot be broken down into smaller components.

4. How do scientists determine the existence of new elementary particles?

Scientists use large particle accelerators, such as the Large Hadron Collider, to create high energy collisions and observe the resulting particles. By analyzing the data from these collisions, they can determine the existence of new particles.

5. Are there different types of elementary particles?

Yes, there are three main types of elementary particles: fermions, which make up matter, bosons, which carry forces, and the Higgs boson, which gives particles their mass. Within these categories, there are also different types of particles with varying properties.

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