Antiquark - Meaning, Definition & English Examples
An antiquark is the antiparticle of a quark, carrying opposite electric charge and color charge. It combines with quarks or other antiquarks to form composite particles like mesons or antibaryons.
Definition:
A subatomic particle with the same mass as a quark but opposite charge and quantum properties.
Synonyms:
anti-particle, quark counterpart, hadron component
Part of Speech:
noun
Antonyms:
quark, matter particle
Common Collocations:
antiquark pair, antiquark annihilation, antiquark spin
Derivatives:
antiquarks, antiquarkonium
Usage Tips:
Use "antiquark" in physics contexts to describe its role in particle interactions and antimatter.
Common Phrases:
antiquark confinement, antiquark-gluon plasma, top antiquark
Etymology:
Coined from "anti-" (opposite) + "quark," a term from particle physics introduced in the 1960s.
Examples:
- 1. An antiquark is the antiparticle of a quark.
- 2. Protons contain two up quarks and one down quark but no antiquarks.
- 3. Antiquarks are produced in high-energy particle collisions.
- 4. The positron is to the electron as the antiquark is to the quark.