Bottom quark facts for kids

Bottom quarks are tiny building blocks of matter. They are also called beauty quarks. These quarks are among the heaviest of the elementary particles. Elementary particles are so small that we believe they cannot be broken down into anything smaller. All quarks are elementary particles.

Bottom quarks have an electric charge of -1/3. This is similar to the charge of down quarks. Even though bottom quarks are not very common, you can find them inside other particles. One example is the B meson. All bottom quarks are unstable. They will quickly change into charm quarks or up quarks. This process is called decay. It happens very fast, in about one trillionth of a second (10^–12 seconds). This decay happens because of a fundamental force called the weak force.

What are Quarks?

Quarks are fundamental particles. They are the basic parts that make up many other particles. For example, protons and neutrons, which are found in the center of every atom, are made of quarks. There are six different types, or "flavors," of quarks:

• Up quark
• Down quark
• Charm quark
• Strange quark
• Top quark
• Bottom quark

Each quark also has a property called "color charge." This is not like the colors we see. It's a special type of charge that holds quarks together.

Properties of Bottom Quarks

Mass and Charge

Bottom quarks are the second heaviest type of quark. Only the top quark is heavier. Their mass is about 4.18 GeV/c². This is much heavier than an electron. The electric charge of a bottom quark is -1/3. This means it has a negative electric charge.

Decay and Lifetime

Bottom quarks are not stable. They decay into lighter quarks. This usually means they turn into charm quarks or up quarks. This decay happens very quickly. The average lifetime of a bottom quark is about 1.6 picoseconds. A picosecond is one trillionth of a second. This decay is controlled by the weak force. The weak force is one of the four basic forces in nature. It is responsible for radioactive decay.

Where are Bottom Quarks Found?

Bottom quarks are found inside composite particles. These particles are made of two or more quarks.

• B mesons: These particles are made of a bottom quark and a lighter antiquark. There are several types of B mesons. They are important for studying the weak force.
• Bottom baryons: These particles are made of three quarks, with at least one bottom quark. An example is the Lambda b baryon.

Scientists study these particles in large particle accelerators. These machines speed up tiny particles and smash them together. This helps scientists learn more about the fundamental building blocks of the universe.

See also

In Spanish: Cuark fondo para niños