My dilemma with protons/antiprotons and neutrons/antineutrons

  • Thread starter Thread starter marshallmeyer1
  • Start date Start date
AI Thread Summary
A proton consists of two up quarks and one down quark, while an antiproton is made of two up antiquarks and one down antiquark. A neutron is composed of one up quark and two down quarks, whereas an antineutron contains two up antiquarks and one down antiquark. The key distinction lies in the fact that protons and neutrons are made of quarks, while antiprotons and antineutrons are made of their corresponding antiquarks. Understanding these differences clarifies the confusion regarding their properties and behaviors in particle physics.
marshallmeyer1
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
Lets establish our givens (please correct me if any of my givens are incorrect, for I am a physics noob.)

1.) A proton is made up of two up quarks and one down quark.
2.) An antiproton is made up of one up quark and two down quarks.

3.) A neutron is made up of one up quark and two down quarks.
4.) An antineutron is made up of two up quarks and one down quark.


The four of these fermions have one of two makeups: Either a 1-up and 2-down quark setup, or a 1-down and 2-up setup (the latter being neutrons and antiprotons and the first being antiprotons and neutrons.)

If all of this is so, then what is the difference between a proton and an antineutron, and what is the difference between a neutron and an antiproton?

My guess would be that it has something to do with the rate of spin, but don't all fermions have spin rates of 1/2?

THIS QUESTION IS DRIVING ME CRAZY AND NONE OF MY TEACHERS CAN ANSWER IT.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Hi marshallmeyer1, welcome to PhysicsForums!

The answer to your question is that an antiproton is made of two up ANTIquarks and one down ANTIquark, and similarly for neutrons. Like all spin-1/2 particles, quarks have distinct antiparticles. So an antiproton and a neutron are made out of completely different particles.
 
Oh thank you so much!
 
So I know that electrons are fundamental, there's no 'material' that makes them up, it's like talking about a colour itself rather than a car or a flower. Now protons and neutrons and quarks and whatever other stuff is there fundamentally, I want someone to kind of teach me these, I have a lot of questions that books might not give the answer in the way I understand. Thanks

Similar threads

Back
Top