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Are they the electron neutrino and the Z˚?
Lo4eath said:negligible means that the particles have almost no mass
rohanprabhu said:'almost' isn't exactly the kind of term used in particle physics.
Lo4eath said:well then how do you call it? With minimum mass? Could be, couldn't be?
rohanprabhu said:either it has mass [like an electron] or it doesn't at all [like a photon]. There is no particle having a 'negligible mass'. 'Negligible' is a term which depends upon the experiment we conduct. 'Negligible' in a general sense doesn't really mean anything.
Lo4eath said:Don't blame me, that was her idea to put such a word in there :]
and I've got a note:
if photon carries an energy, then it's obvious that it HAS mass, isn't it?
Lo4eath said:so, ELECTRON is the lightest one, if photon doesn't have mass?
Tachyonie said:Look, if you cannot do quick research using google or wikipedia that's fine with me, but atleast read the whole thread.
As stated above, the lightest particle would probably be neutrino.
Lo4eath said:yeah, that's right (i have no clue what neutrino is, but.. :] ), but as i have posted it, i want to know which one is lighter in between ELECTRON and PHOTON. So, i think that the answer is: PHOTON is the lighest one, in the case that we are comparing those two, but if photon DOES have a mass... am i right?
_Mayday_ said:I did some quick research on both google and wikipedia and did not find the answer to the question... Why do you assume he hasn't read the whole thread? He/she is obviously unsure and probably just wants to make sure, I see no harm in that.
Lo4eath, I had a look around and found some information, it is put very simply but should get the message across
Small Introduction
"Neutrinos are elementary particles that travel close to the speed of light and have a negligible rest mass. Although there are vast numbers of neutrinos arriving at Earth from beta decays all over the universe, they lack an electrical charge and are therefore able to pass through ordinary matter almost undisturbed and with very few interactions they are thus extremely difficult to detect."
Answer to your question
"Until recently, it was believed that they had no mass but a few years ago it was found that they have a very small mass, much lighter than electrons."
I think that neutrinos would be along the right lines. Hope this helped.
EDIT: Thanks for the links ZapperZ, I'll have a look!
Lo4eath said:yeah, that's right (i have no clue what neutrino is, but.. :] ), but as i have posted it, i want to know which one is lighter in between ELECTRON and PHOTON. So, i think that the answer is: PHOTON is the lighest one, in the case that we are comparing those two, but if photon DOES have a mass... am i right?
Lo4eath said:Yes, but we're not rorgeting that, that was my Project Work, and my teacher says it has to be on level of 13 - 14 - 15 years old pupil, so, if I'm going to say that the photon is the lightest one (how come it doesn't have mass if it DOES carry the energy?) is photon, would it be okay?
Lo4eath said:(how come it doesn't have mass if it DOES carry the energy?)
Lo4eath said:yeah yeah, right... could you be that kind and send that link here?
The heaviest particles are known as the Higgs boson, the top quark, and the W and Z bosons. These particles are all part of the Standard Model of particle physics and have masses in the range of 80 to 125 GeV (gigaelectronvolts).
The mass of a particle is determined by its interaction with the Higgs field, which is a quantum field that permeates the universe. The strength of this interaction determines the mass of the particle, with particles that interact more strongly having a higher mass.
The heaviest particles play a crucial role in our understanding of the universe and the fundamental forces that govern it. The Higgs boson, in particular, is responsible for giving mass to all other particles, and its discovery confirmed the existence of the Higgs field.
The lightest particles are known as leptons, which include electrons, muons, and neutrinos. These particles have very small masses, with the electron having a mass of only 0.511 MeV (megaelectronvolts) and the neutrino having a mass close to zero.
The differences in mass among particles can be attributed to the different strengths of their interactions with the Higgs field. Additionally, some particles, such as the neutrino, may have a very small mass due to their unique properties and interactions. The exact reasons for these differences are still being studied and researched by scientists.