BRAINCAKEThe W Boson
W bosons are the exchange particles for the weak interaction.
Unlike photons W bosons have a non-zero rest mass. They have a short range of ≤ 0.001 fm
They may be negative W- bosons or positive W+ bosons.
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Key terms in this lesson
- Photon
- A discrete packet, or quantum, of electromagnetic energy.
- Weak nuclear force
- The fundamental interaction responsible for beta decay, in which particles interact through the exchange of W bosons.
- Exchange particle
- A particle exchanged between interacting particles that carries a fundamental force; also called a force carrier.
- Neutrino
- An uncharged, almost massless lepton that interacts only very weakly with matter and is emitted, along with a beta particle, in beta decay.
More in Particles and Radiation
- Pair Production
- The Discovery of the Positron
- The Electromagnetic Force
- Feynman Diagrams
- The Weak Nuclear Force
- Beta Decay
- Electron Capture
- Force Carriers
All 22 lessons in Particles and Radiation · All AQA AS-level Physics topics