Lesson plan
Weak charge
In nuclear physics and atomic physics, weak charge, or rarely neutral weak charge, refers to the Standard Model weak interaction coupling of a particle to the Z boson; it is named by analogy to electric charge, which measures coupling to the photon of electromagnetism. For example, for any given nuclear isotope, the total weak charge is approximately −0.99 per neutron, and +0.07 per proton. It also shows an effect of parity violation during electron scattering. This same term is sometimes also used to refer to other, different quantities, such as weak isospin or weak hypercharge; this article concerns the use of weak charge for a quantity that measures the degree of vector coupling of a fermion to the Z boson (i.e. the coupling strength of weak neutral currents).
Article summary
In nuclear physics and atomic physics, weak charge, or rarely neutral weak charge, refers to the Standard Model weak interaction coupling of a particle to the Z boson; it is named by analogy to electric charge, which measures coupling to the photon of electromagnetism. For example, for any given nuclear isotope, the total weak charge is approximately −0.99 per neutron, and +0.07 per proton. It also shows an effect of parity violation during electron scattering. This same term is sometimes also used to refer to other, different quantities, such as weak isospin or weak hypercharge; this article concerns the use of weak charge for a quantity that measures the degree of vector coupling of a fermion to the Z boson (i.e. the coupling strength of weak neutral currents).
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.