strange quark
nounPhysics.
a quark having electric charge −1/3 times the elementary charge and strangeness −1; it is more massive than the up and down quarks.
Origin of strange quark
1First recorded in 1970–75
- Also called s quark.
Words Nearby strange quark
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
Scientific definitions for strange quark
strange quark
A quark with an electric charge of -1/3 and a mass of 391 electron masses, greater than that of the up quark and down quark, but smaller than that of other quarks. The presence of a strange quark contributes strangeness of -1 to the physical system containing it, while a strange antiquark contributes strangeness of +1. See Table at subatomic particle.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Browse