First, we have three families (we call them generations) each consisting of four matter particles: two quarks and two, so-called, leptons. In the first family we find our by now familiar up-quark, down-quark and electron, as well as a fourth particle, the electron neutrino. This is an almost massless particle that is produced in huge quantities in the sun but mostly passes right through ordinary matter. The pattern of two quarks and two leptons is repeated twice more, so that there are twelve matter particles in total, grouped into three generations. Apart from being heavier, the particles in the latter two generations have exactly the same properties as those in the first. This is a rather strange state of affairs, but it seems to just be that way.
Next, there are four, so-called, gauge bosons, of which the photon is one. The gauge bosons are associated with three of the four fundamental forces of nature: the gluon corresponds to the strong nuclear force, the photon to the electromagnetic force, and the W and Z bosons to the weak nuclear force. (The fourth fundamental force is gravity – more on this in the followup articles.)
Finally, there is the Higgs boson, world-famous since its discovery at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in 2012 . The Higgs boson is perhaps the strangest of the known fundamental particles (even stranger than the aptly named strange quark). If you followed its discovery, you may recognize the claim that particles gain mass through their interactions with the Higgs boson.
The particles shown in the table above, together with Einstein's theory of gravity, account for every observation ever made in physics, with only a small handful of exceptions (mostly in astronomy, you can read more in the final article). In particular, all of the things we encounter in our regular lives ultimately arise from these particles interacting with each other; the interactions individually are rather simple, but together adding up to all the complexity we observe, like a complex machinery where each component on its own behaves according to simple rules.
Next, there are four, so-called, gauge bosons, of which the photon is one. The gauge bosons are associated with three of the four fundamental forces of nature: the gluon corresponds to the strong nuclear force, the photon to the electromagnetic force, and the W and Z bosons to the weak nuclear force. (The fourth fundamental force is gravity – more on this in the followup articles.)
Finally, there is the Higgs boson, world-famous since its discovery at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in 2012 . The Higgs boson is perhaps the strangest of the known fundamental particles (even stranger than the aptly named strange quark). If you followed its discovery, you may recognize the claim that particles gain mass through their interactions with the Higgs boson.
The particles shown in the table above, together with Einstein's theory of gravity, account for every observation ever made in physics, with only a small handful of exceptions (mostly in astronomy, you can read more in the final article). In particular, all of the things we encounter in our regular lives ultimately arise from these particles interacting with each other; the interactions individually are rather simple, but together adding up to all the complexity we observe, like a complex machinery where each component on its own behaves according to simple rules.
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