lepton etymology

Etymology:

• From Greek λεπτός (leptos), meaning "fine," "delicate," or "thin."

Meaning and Origin:

Leptons are a class of elementary particles that are characterized by their low mass and their lack of strong nuclear force interactions. They include:

• Electrons: The lightest leptons with a negative charge. They are found in atoms and play a crucial role in chemical reactions and electrical phenomena.
• Muons: Heavier leptons with a negative charge. They are unstable and have a lifetime of about 2.2 microseconds.
• Taus: The heaviest leptons with a negative charge. They are even more unstable than muons and have a lifetime of about 300 femtoseconds.
• ** Neutrinos:** Leptons with no electric charge. They come in three types: electron neutrinos, muon neutrinos, and tau neutrinos. They are very difficult to detect due to their low interactions with matter.

Leptons were first discovered in experiments with cosmic rays in the 1930s. The name "lepton" was coined by Léon Rosenfeld in 1948 to reflect their low mass compared to other particles known at the time.

Leptons play an important role in the Standard Model of particle physics. They are involved in a variety of interactions, including electromagnetic interactions, weak interactions, and gravitational interactions.

lepton relate terms

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• lepton

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• mite

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• drachma

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• tragedy

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• planet

  Planet noun Etymology From Middle English planete derived from Old English planēta

• priest

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• hyperbole

  Etymology The word hyperbole comes from the Greek word hyperbolē which means overt

• salvation

  Etymology From Old French salvacion from Latin salvatio a saving rescue preservati

• slander

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• social

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• latitude

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