Subatomic physics


Subatomic physics includes two chief areas: Subatomic particles, and interactions.	Sapience Home Site Map About Sapience Science Physics Structure of Matter

Subatomic physics includes two chief areas: Subatomic particles, and interactions.

Subatomic particles

Subatomic particles can be classified into three groups: leptons, hadrons, and gauge bosons. The leptons and hadrons are the fundamental constituents of matter. Many of these are created in high-energy interactions, and most varieties are unstable and short lived and decay to more familiar and stable particles. The bosons are considered to be the carriers of the fundamental forces and are responsible for the interactions.

The principal subatomic particles of interest to higher levels of science are the electron (a lepton) , the proton, and the neutron, (both handrons).

Atomic mass unit u = 1.66053886 x10^-27 kg
Charge is given in multiples of the smallest unit of electricl charg, q = 1.60217653(14) x10^-19 C.

Name	symbol	charge	mass (AMU)	mass (kg)
Electron	e	-1	5.4857990945(24)x 10^-4	9.1093826(16)x10 ^-31
Proton	p	+1	1.00727646688(15)	1.67262171(29)x10^-27
Neutron	n	0	1.00866491560(555)	1.67492728(29)x10^-27

Subatomic interactions

At this level, there are four chief forces in nature:

The strong atomic force. This acts only between hadrons and is the binding force in atomic nuclei.

The weak atomic force. This interacts between hadrons and leptons. It is related to the electromagnetic force, and is primarily responsible for the decay of particles.

The electromagnetic force. This is ultimately responsible for most of the interactions of ordinary matter.

The gravitational force. This force is extraordinarily weak and difficult to study at the scale of subatomic particles.


There are connections to mechanics. Particle mechanics does not apply very well, because subatomic particles are not ideal particles: they are small, but not pure geometric points. Many principles of classical kinematics and kinetics do not apply, although some do in a modified form, and particle systematics also doesn't exactly apply. Rigid-body mechanics including body description, rotation, static systems, and dynamic systems may be minimally useful. Nonrigid mechanics including deformable bodies, fluid mechanics, and wave mechanics is slightly more useful. There is not a strong connection to gravitation.	Links to other sites: Not yet available
There is only a minimal connection to thermodynamics but mostly to Electromagnetism including electrostatics, electric current, magnetism, and optics is highly important and closely connected. Relativistic physics, including the mass-energy equivalence of special relativity, is vital, although general relativity is not as useful. Quantum physics is essential. Atomic physics including nuclear and electronic physics makes use of subatomic physics. Molecular physics and bulk matter also have connections. Chemistry has fairly minimal applications for subatomic physics, although many theories can be tested by observations from astronomy. Earth science and biology have fairly minimal applications. Applications of personal studies, anthropology, culture, institutions, sociology, and history will be included as the site develops.

There are connections to mechanics. Particle mechanics does not apply very well, because subatomic particles are not ideal particles: they are small, but not pure geometric points. Many principles of classical kinematics and kinetics do not apply, although some do in a modified form, and particle systematics also doesn't exactly apply. Rigid-body mechanics including body description, rotation, static systems, and dynamic systems may be minimally useful. Nonrigid mechanics including deformable bodies, fluid mechanics, and wave mechanics is slightly more useful. There is not a strong connection to gravitation.

Links to other sites: Not yet available

There is only a minimal connection to thermodynamics but mostly to Electromagnetism including electrostatics, electric current, magnetism, and optics is highly important and closely connected. Relativistic physics, including the mass-energy equivalence of special relativity, is vital, although general relativity is not as useful. Quantum physics is essential. Atomic physics including nuclear and electronic physics makes use of subatomic physics. Molecular physics and bulk matter also have connections.

Chemistry has fairly minimal applications for subatomic physics, although many theories can be tested by observations from astronomy. Earth science and biology have fairly minimal applications.

Applications of personal studies, anthropology, culture, institutions, sociology, and history will be included as the site develops.