Why do quarks have fractional charges?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the fractional charges of quarks, emphasizing that the definition of elementary charge is arbitrary. Participants note that quark charges could theoretically be assigned different integer values, impacting the charge of electrons. The existence of magnetic monopoles is proposed as a potential explanation for the observed integer multiples of charge values. Additionally, there is a mention of the relationship between quark and lepton charges, particularly in the context of anomaly cancellation.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of quantum chromodynamics (QCD)
  • Familiarity with the concept of elementary charge
  • Knowledge of particle physics, specifically quarks and leptons
  • Basic grasp of anomaly cancellation in theoretical physics
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the implications of magnetic monopoles on charge quantization
  • Explore the concept of anomaly cancellation in particle physics
  • Study the relationship between quark and lepton charges in the Standard Model
  • Investigate the role of fractional charges in quantum field theory
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Physicists, students of particle physics, and anyone interested in the fundamental properties of matter and charge quantization.

tybeedave
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i can't seem to get a handle on this...help :)
 
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The definition of the elementary charge is arbitrary, we could assign the charges +-1 and -+2 to the quarks, then electrons would have +-3.
It is unknown why those charges can be written as integers at all (they could have some arbitrary factors like 2.464235...). If magnetic monopoles exist, they would lead to an explanation why we see multiples of a common charge value only.
There is also a connection between quark and lepton charges, see this post on anomaly cancellation (probably beyond the scope of the original question).
 

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