Higgs Boson #6 So now we know what most atoms are made of - electrons, protons, neutrons and quarks. These quarks are held together by gluons. Now if we step back and look at the mass of a proton, then surely it should be equal to the combined masses if the 3 quarks that make up the proton? But its not. Somewhere something is missing. In fact, a lot is missing as the total quark mass is but a fraction of the protons true mass. Now Einstein proposed that E = mc^2, simply meaning that Energy = mass x speed if light (squared). Manipulating this equation a bit will result in m = E/c^2. In other words, now mass is proportional to energy. Remember the gluons...the insanely strong energy that held our quarks intact? Suddenly we found our missing piece of mass in the proton. But what does this say about the Higgs Boson? Tonights final post will tie everything together and bring our journey to understanding the elusive Higgs to an end.
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 07:02:23 +0000
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