- #1
Thanks for your reply. The correct answer in the book is that there are 2d, 1u, and 0s quarks after the reaction. I understand that the strange number is zero but how can you say 0s if the 2 particles formed contain s quarks? Very confusing.mfb said:
Constituent quarks are hypothetical particles that are believed to make up protons and neutrons, which are the building blocks of atomic nuclei. They are different from the "fundamental" quarks that are described in the Standard Model of particle physics.
The strong nuclear force, which holds protons and neutrons together in the nucleus, is believed to be mediated by the exchange of gluons between constituent quarks. This is known as the "color force" because it is based on the concept of "color charge" that is carried by quarks.
No, we cannot directly observe constituent quarks. They are believed to be confined within protons and neutrons, and cannot exist as free particles due to the strong nuclear force. However, their properties can be inferred through experiments and theoretical models.
Protons and neutrons are made up of three constituent quarks each, with different combinations of up and down quarks. The sum of the charges and masses of the constituent quarks determines the overall charge and mass of the particle.
No, constituent quarks are not the smallest particles in the universe. They are believed to be made up of even smaller particles called "fundamental" quarks, which cannot be divided further. However, the concept of constituent quarks is useful in explaining the properties of protons and neutrons.
