Hi, i'm at a very primitive stage in my explorations in physics and was just looking at R. Nave's (from Georgia State University) explanation of the neutron and proton. He states that they are both baryons, the proton consisting (if that's correct) of 2 up [- + 2/3 e (up)] quarks and 1 down quark [- 1/3 e (down)] and that the neutron consists of 2 down quarks and 1 up. Here is where I have a problem because in the diagram, he writes the values (if that is correct) of the neutron as +2/3 e up and -1/3 e down. Is this a typo, or am I missing something?

Question

Hi, i'm at a very primitive stage in my explorations in physics and was just looking at R. Nave's (from Georgia State University) explanation of the neutron and proton. He states that they are both baryons, the proton consisting (if that's correct) of 2 up [- + 2/3 e (up)] quarks and 1 down quark [- 1/3 e (down)] and that the neutron consists of 2 down quarks and 1 up.  Here is where I have a problem because in the diagram, he writes the values (if that is correct) of the neutron as +2/3 e up and -1/3 e down.  Is this a typo, or am I missing something?

shayaan_mustafa · Answer

hi there. this concept is interesting. You can find it more in more easiest way here. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/particles/proton.html

turingtest · Answer

It says above that the neutron consists of 2 down and 1 up, so the book is okay. They add to zero as shown by James.

jamesj · Answer

Thanks TT, yes:

Proton = 2*Up + 1*Down
           = 2*(+2/3) + 1*(-1/3) 
           = 1

Neutron = 1*(+2/3) + 2*(-1/3) = 0