Weak nuclear Vs Strong nuclear

In summary, determining the responsible force in a particle interaction can be done by looking at the lifetime of the particle and whether or not strangeness is conserved. If the lifetime is short and strangeness is conserved, then the strong interaction is involved. However, if the lifetime is longer and strangeness is changed, then the weak interaction is responsible. A safe way to determine this is by examining the quarks and leptons present in the initial and final states and constructing Feynman diagrams. If there is a quark or anti-quark present in only one of the states, the weak interaction must be involved.
  • #1
jpa
2
0
How do you determine in a particle interaction which force is responsible?

For example

a K- meson is found to decay into three charged pi mesons what force is involved?

The answer here is a weak interaction but why?
 
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  • #2
Two reasons. First, the kaon lifetime is about 10-8 sec, and strong interactions typically occur in 10-23 sec. Second, strangeness is changed in the kaon decay and the strong interaction conserves it.
 
  • #3
So could we say that strangeness number is the key.
If its conserved then the interaction was via the strong nuclear else its weak nuclear!
 
  • #4
The key in this case, but it cannot be generally stated that that is the case.

A safe way to figure this out is to see what quarks/leptons exist in initial and final state and then write down feynman diagrams describing the transition from one into the other. If it can occur via the strong interaction, it will, if not then the weak interaction has a chance.

If there is a quark(anti-quark) which exist in only the initial state OR only the final state without its corresponding anti-quark(quark) the weak interaction has to play a part.

Hope that helps.
 

What is the difference between weak nuclear force and strong nuclear force?

The weak nuclear force is one of the four fundamental forces of nature, along with gravity, electromagnetism, and the strong nuclear force. It is responsible for radioactive decay and plays a role in the fusion reactions that power stars. The strong nuclear force, on the other hand, is responsible for holding together the nucleus of an atom and is the strongest of the four fundamental forces.

How do weak nuclear force and strong nuclear force interact?

The weak nuclear force and strong nuclear force are independent of each other and do not directly interact. However, both forces play crucial roles in the stability and structure of atoms. The strong nuclear force overcomes the repulsive electromagnetic force between protons in the nucleus, while the weak nuclear force is responsible for the transformation of one type of particle into another.

Which particles are affected by weak nuclear force and strong nuclear force?

The weak nuclear force primarily affects subatomic particles, such as electrons, protons, and neutrons. It is responsible for transforming these particles into other types of particles, such as neutrinos. The strong nuclear force, on the other hand, primarily affects the particles in the nucleus, specifically protons and neutrons.

What are the relative strengths of weak nuclear force and strong nuclear force?

The strong nuclear force is significantly stronger than the weak nuclear force. In fact, the strong nuclear force is around 100 times stronger than the electromagnetic force and 1038 times stronger than the weak nuclear force. This is why it is able to overcome the repulsive force between positively charged protons in the nucleus.

How do weak nuclear force and strong nuclear force contribute to the stability of atoms?

The strong nuclear force is crucial for keeping the nucleus of an atom stable. Without it, the positively charged protons would repel each other and cause the nucleus to break apart. The weak nuclear force also plays a role in stability by regulating the decay of unstable particles in the nucleus. This helps to maintain the overall balance of particles in the nucleus, contributing to the stability of atoms.

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