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RE: Elementary particles, the building block of reality (Particle Physics Series – Episode 1)
I didn't have had the time to watch the video yet (on the to-do list), but why singling out the strangeness on the table? This sounds weird to me :)
Yes Strange, isn't it? ( pun intended ;-)).
The reason is that this video follows the content of the IB program (High School). There are many omissions in this program justified by the fact that for students, it is the first contact with particle Physics. Note that Particle Physics is part of the core program, standard level, i.e. all students taking Physics need to study it.
Why the program designers singled strangeness? I suspect it is because after the up and the down quark, the strange quark is the lightest one.
Why do they even mention this number when this is just an initiation to particle physics: Because
1/ The Kaon meson is on the program
2/ They use strangeness in exercises with conservation laws: in order to identify which force is involved in a reaction. Strangeness, in certain cases can differentiate strong force (S Always conserved) and weak force (S not always conserved).
Yet, in my lessons and with students receptive to the topic, I mention other quantum numbers such as bottomness, or topness, and discuss others which I believe are really important like spin. Yes, spin is not on the menu (???)... I plan to discuss spin, and even a little more complex ones like isospin when I dig more into quantum numbers attributed to fermions (One of the videos of episode 3).
Thanks for the explanation. It is still strange... but well... Programs... Sometimes I would love to write them myself... ;)
haha, that is why I am quite glad to be a private teacher!
I do not have to bow to any institution made of people that do not really understand how student minds work. I have programs that I follow (the one that they study for exams), but I approach them in a smoother way and give them more (the excitement). In addition, when relevant and if I know the student will be receptive, I go further (for example, I may talk a little about other quantum numbers, so that the symmetries in the standard model start to make sense to them.)
Basically, I prepare them also for Uni (I always inform parents and students of these objectives though).
The major problem with programs is that even if the content is nice, it is often way too long for the amount of time we have for the course... :(