In: Physics
Does the sign of the charge of an elementary particle, like an electron or proton, is a more, or less, fundamental property than the "sign" of its symmetry?
Answer : the sign of the charge of an elementary particle, like an electron or proton is less fundamental property than the "sign" of its symmetry.
The explanation of every physical process, from the growth of plants to space shuttle lift-off, has its fundamental origin in these interactions. The properties of materials, from concrete to quicksand, ultimately depend on the properties of elementary particles.
As physicists discovered more elementary particles, they found that patterns in their properties could be understood in terms of mathematical symmetries. These newer symmetries often act in more abstract, so-called internal spaces. For example, early experiments on protons and neutrons revealed that although their electric charges differ, these particles are fundamentally similar and their strongest interactions are identical. This close similarity inspired the concept of a two-dimensional "internal" space, in which protons and neutrons correspond to different directions. The similarity of their behavior becomes the statement that physics is unchanged as one rotates in this imaginary internal space.