How are W and Z bosons related to the weak force? And where do they come from?

Question

xishem · Answer

The weak interaction is caused by the emission and absorption of W and Z bosons. As far as where they come from, I couldn't answer that.

snowfire · Answer

Thanks, but I was really hoping for that second part =/ if anyone else knows, I would be very grateful.

xishem · Answer

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/forces/funfor.html#c5 This talks about how free neutrons can spontaneously decay a W boson, electron, and antineutrino (as well as many other ways that W and Z bosons can be created).

snowfire · Answer

What exactly is a color? I never understood that. Also I'm going to bed, so I won't be here to reply!

xishem · Answer

Colour charge is kind of like electric charge — it's a more complicated quantity, though. While electric charges can have + or - electric charge, colour charge has three separate "charge" types: red, blue, and green (which can all, incidentally, also be negative red, blue, or green).

In essence, it's just an analogy to help describe interactions among quarks and gluons. It has nothing to do with what we call colour.