Strange quark facts for kids
Strange quarks are tiny building blocks of matter. They are a type of quark, and scientists think quarks cannot be broken down into smaller pieces. Strange quarks are the third lightest kind of quark.
Like other quarks, strange quarks have an electric charge of -1/3. They also have a property called 'spin', which is 1/2. This 'spin' is a bit like how a spinning top moves.
What makes strange quarks special is something scientists call "strangeness." This "strangeness" makes particles that contain strange quarks decay (or break down) more slowly than expected.
What is Strangeness?
"Strangeness" is a special property of strange quarks. It means that particles with strange quarks do not break down quickly because of the strong force or electromagnetism. Instead, they break down using the much slower weak force.
Scientists thought this slow way of breaking down was "strange," which is how the quarks and the particles they form got their name.
Where Are Strange Quarks Found?
Strange quarks are found inside other particles. For example, they are part of particles called kaons and some hyperons.
Scientists first noticed this "strangeness" when they saw that these particles did not decay as fast as their weight suggested they should. It took scientists a long time to figure out why this was happening. They discovered kaons, but it took over 16 years to predict the idea of "strangeness" as the reason for their slow decay.
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