Physics A-Level
Strangeness
What Strangeness means in Physics A-Level, as defined for AQA.
Definitions of Strangeness
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Reference: AQA
A quantum number, symbol s, invented to explain why certain particles such as kaons and hyperons appear only in pairs when produced.
A quantum number assigned to hadrons to explain why certain strong interactions happen readily while others are never seen.
A quantity conserved in strong production but not in weak decay, which allows strange particles to decay.
A property that is 0 for up and down quarks, −1 for a strange quark and +1 for an antistrange quark.
A quantum number where s has strangeness −1, s̄ has strangeness +1, and u and d have strangeness 0.
Topics that use Strangeness
- Classification of particles (AQA A-Level)
- Quarks and antiquarks (AQA A-Level)
Related terms
- Baryon number
- Baryons
- Mesons
- Antiquarks
- Baryons and antibaryons
- Conservation laws
- Conservation laws in particle decays
- Conservation of baryon number
Using Strangeness in the exam
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