What guarantees the electron mass

In summary, the mass of an electron is something that we measure from experiments, and it is not well understood.
  • #1
semc
368
5
I am just wondering in pair production, what is the physics that determine the mass of the electrons? Why can't the electron get more mass than the positron or the other way round?
 
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  • #2
semc said:
I am just wondering in pair production, what is the physics that determine the mass of the electrons? Why can't the electron get more mass than the positron or the other way round?

This is a bit puzzling. Maybe you should explain why, in a pair production, you think electrons can have variable masses.

Please note that the mass of a bare electron is well-defined. A bare particle, having a mass different than an electron, is no longer an electron. We either call it a muon, or we have discovered a new particle.

Zz.
 
  • #3
semc said:
I am just wondering in pair production, what is the physics that determine the mass of the electrons? Why can't the electron get more mass than the positron or the other way round?

The mass of fundamental particles is simply an intrinsic property, much like charge and spin.
 
  • #4
The mass of the electron is something we measure from experiment. I don't believe there is any good theory for predicting the mass. We observe in bubble chambers and the like that the positron charge to mass ratio is the same as the electron charge to mass ratio. It's possible that there is some small difference in masses, but there's no compelling reason to believe so.
 
  • #5
Khashishi said:
The mass of the electron is something we measure from experiment. I don't believe there is any good theory for predicting the mass. We observe in bubble chambers and the like that the positron charge to mass ratio is the same as the electron charge to mass ratio. It's possible that there is some small difference in masses, but there's no compelling reason to believe so.

The positron must have the same mass and opposite charge to the electron by CPT symmetry.

There are (incomplete) theories that attempt to explain the masses of the electron and other fermions.
 

1. What is the mass of an electron?

The mass of an electron is approximately 9.11 x 10^-31 kilograms.

2. Why does an electron have mass?

An electron has mass because it is a fundamental particle and is believed to be an indivisible unit of matter. The mass of an electron is a fundamental property of the particle, similar to its charge and spin.

3. What guarantees the mass of an electron?

The mass of an electron is guaranteed by the Higgs field, which is a fundamental force in the universe that gives particles their mass. The Higgs field interacts with particles, such as electrons, through the Higgs boson, which gives them their mass.

4. How does the Higgs field give electrons their mass?

The Higgs field is present throughout the universe and particles, such as electrons, interact with it by moving through it. As particles move through the Higgs field, they gain mass through the Higgs mechanism, which is a process of generating particle mass through interactions with the Higgs field.

5. Can the mass of an electron change?

The mass of an electron is a constant and does not change. However, its energy can change, which can affect its observed mass through Einstein's famous equation, E=mc^2.

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