When developing a "piece" of a reaction (an equation), you must ensure that total strangeness is conserved in strong and electromagnetic interactions.
The strangeness of a particle is determined by the number of strange quarks ( ) and strange antiquarks ( strangeness
Physicists observed that these "strange" particles were always produced in pairs through the strong interaction but decayed individually through the weak interaction. This led to the discovery of the , the fundamental piece of matter that carries this property. 1. Identify the Quark Composition When developing a "piece" of a reaction (an
To calculate the total strangeness of a composite particle (like a baryon or meson), use the following sum: Check for Conservation
The concept of ( ) in particle physics was developed to explain why certain subatomic particles, like kaons and hyperons, lived much longer than expected before decaying.
S=(number of s̄ quarks)−(number of s quarks)cap S equals open paren number of s bar quarks close paren minus open paren number of s quarks close paren 3. Check for Conservation