Basic Forces of Nature: Unifying Electromagnetic & Weak Nuclear

[FizixFreak]

hi i am little confused about UNIFICATION OF FORCES what does one mean when he talks about the unification of electromegnatic and weak nuclear force (which was achieved by dr.abdus salam) how can forces be combined ?

 

[Pythagorean]

Not quite. Unification means both forces can be understood under the same theoretical framework. Ie the same general set of rules apply to both.

 

[tiny-tim]

how can forces be combined ?

Hi FizixFreak!

To see how electricity and magnetism were combined, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetism#History" …

Originally, electricity and magnetism were thought of as two separate forces. This view changed, however, with the publication of James Clerk Maxwell's 1873 Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism in which the interactions of positive and negative charges were shown to be regulated by one force. …

etc

 

[FizixFreak]

mmmmmmmmmmm i will check it out thanks man

 

[FizixFreak]

but there is still one question how were weak nuclear force and electromegnatic force combined?

 

[tiny-tim]

but there is still one question how were weak nuclear force and electromegnatic force combined?

Same way as electricity and magnetism are combined, but with a different rotation.

As you now know, an observer's measurements of electric and magnetic fields can be converted (partly) into each other by changing the velocity of the observer.

In other words, by a (Lorentz) rotation in space-time.

Similarly, an observer's measurements of weak and electromagnetic fields can be converted (partly) into each other by a rotation in "SU(2)xU(1)".

(and sorry, i don't know a good link for this … the wikipedia article on the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroweak_interaction" isn't really helpful )