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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Re: Can we communicate with civilisation in anti matter solar systems
« on: 25/05/2021 20:57:21 »Thanks, but this is what puzzles me.
1. Is the electron an indivisible particle of electric charge - ie, you can't have 1/3rd or 2/3rds of an electron
2. If so, how can a quark have an electric charge of 1/3rd or 2/3rds of an electron.
The electron is an indivisible particle. However, it is not necessarily the smallest unit of charge used in theoretical physics (quarks have fractions of this charge as you stated). None the less, e (the charge on an electron) is the smallest unit of charge that any isolated particle could have in the real world. A Quark cannot be isolated, you can't have one quark all on it's own. Only certain groups of quarks can be isolated and this group of quarks will always combine to have a charge that is a whole multiple of the charge on an electron.
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