What are strange quarks?
Q: What are strange quarks?
A: Strange quarks are subatomic particles that are so small that they are believed to be the fundamental particles. They are the third lightest quarks, and have a charge of -1/3 and a spin of 1/2.
Q: How are strange quarks different from down quarks?
A: Strange quarks are different from down quarks because they have 25 times the mass of down quarks and also have something called "strangeness."
Q: What is strangeness?
A: Strangeness is a resistance to decay against strong force and electromagnetism that strange quarks possess. It means that any particle that contains a strange quark cannot decay due to strong force or electromagnetism, but instead with the much slower weak force.
Q: In what particles are strange quarks found?
A: Strange quarks can be found in particles such as kaons and some hyperons.
Q: When did scientists begin noticing strangeness?
A: Scientists began noticing strangeness when they observed that particles containing strange quarks did not decay as quickly as their masses would have suggested they would have.
Q: Why did scientists give these particles the name "strange"?
A: The scientists gave these particles the name "strange" because it was believed that the slow method of decay due to strangeness was a strange occurrence.
Q: How long did it take scientists to predict strangeness after the discovery of kaons?
A: It took scientists over 16 years to predict strangeness after the discovery of kaons.
