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Why are the 6 quarks named what they are?
(up,down,top,bottom etc.) I just need to know why they got named what they are now.
1 Answer
- DestriiLv 41 decade agoFavorite Answer
Interesting one. Quarks, although they've got really random names ("bottom?" "strange"?!) are actually called what they are for a reason.
The name quark itself is a made up word created by scientist Murray Gell-Mann, after the sound ducks make.
Up and down quarks are so named because of something called isospin (Google it) which is a property of quarks and is related to the strong force. Basically, up quarks have opposite isospin from down quarks.
Strange quarks are thus called because they have "unusually long lifetimes". Well, I guess quantum physicists run out of inspiration every so often. Charm quarks are supposedly aesthetically pleasing, because they make the Standard Model symmetrical. And "top" and "bottom" quarks are just a variation on the "up" and "down" theme. They used to be called "truth" and "beauty", interestingly, but no-one calls them that anymore.
Hope this helped :)
