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Can someone briefly explain how the higgs boson is a fundamental piece in the standard model?
I know how the Higgs boson is an excitement of the Higgs field and that it has a value at every point in space but what is the Higgs boson's role in giving mass to particles?
1 Answer
- OldPilotLv 78 years agoFavorite Answer
Higgs Boson and the Higgs Field
The Standard Model of quantum mechanics predicts the existence of the Higgs Boson and the Higgs Field. Those 2 together answer a fundamental question about the universe:
What is or causes mass (inertia)? Why does matter resist being accelerated?
If the Higgs Boson and the Higgs Field exist, that is one more important proof that the Standard Model is correct. On the other hand, if they do not exist, then the Standard Model is flawed and needs to be corrected or rejected. Either way, that would be a serious blow to our current view of quantum mechanics because a lot of what we believe to be true would be wrong and we would need to start over.
We believe that the universe is filled with the Higgs Field and like the electron interacts with the electromagnetic field, the Higgs Boson interacts with the Higgs Field to resist being accelerated. This would explain mass and inertia. Thus, the Higgs Field and Boson are the source of mass or inertia. Some physicist said, joking, the Higgs Boson creates mass, a God like power, so the Boson must be the God Particle
