Space, Time and Vertices: the elements of a Feynman Diagram - Chapter 2 (High school Physics)

Feynman diagrams are a graphical representation of the processes involved in particle physics reactions. This video is the second episode of a series of three that presents what are Feynman diagrams, how to understand and use them, and how to build them.

In this episode you will learn what are the elements you need to know to read Feynman diagrams and build your own: space-time diagrams, particle symbolism and vertices. We will use for this a well-known particle physics reaction as support, electron repulsion. We will also have a look at vertices involving the decay of a gluon into a quark and an anti-quark as well as the transformation of a quark and an anti-quark into a weak force boson.

Feynman diagrams are an insightful tool that puts to light the wonders of particle physics. The reactions occurring in particle physics are a marvel of processes involving the forces of nature (weak force, strong force and electromagnetic force). Writing these like a chemical reaction does not provide information about the processes involved, just what you start up with, and what you end up with.

One can use the Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) and Quantum Electrodynamics (EOD) to model quite well what is going on, but the mathematics involved is not for everyone! Instead, graphical representation of these reaction, invented by Richard Feynman, allow all to visualize the processes involved easily: Feynman diagrams. He introduced these originally as a graphical aid for visualizing and calculating interactions between electrons and photons. Today, Feynman diagrams are commonly used to depict all types of particle interactions.

These videos are intended to help high school students with their physics studies as well as high school physics teachers wondering how to approach the topic with their students.

**** Access to the Videos **** Introduction: Content review of the Feynman Diagram mini-series: https://youtu.be/O9ihGuK53Ww

Episode 1: What is a Feynman Diagram? (brief overview of Feynman diagrams, using as support a very well-known reaction, beta decay): https://youtu.be/TLBXrMixcu8

Episode 3: Feynman Diagrams, Let’s build some! (Learning how to build Feynman diagrams by example, using particle physics reactions like muon decay, pion decay, Kaon decay etc.: https://youtu.be/vgk2aJRlBcg

SUPER USEFUL - The table of particles: https://www.physics-made-easy.com/Standard-Model-of-Particle-Physics

If you are not familiar with Particle physics, I recommend you start by viewing the series of videos that deals in detail with particle physics reactions: _ Introduction: https://youtu.be/gy-durcAhJ4 _ Elementary and composite particles of the standard model: https://youtu.be/AJSL39hVVPw _ Quantum numbers of particles: https://youtu.be/3SVMrLmGHWQ _ Conservation laws ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JScJjZ9zW7A