I’m also a force to be
reckoned with!
Hey!
what was
that for?
I didn’t even
touch you! Well,
not in the world
of particle
physics, anyway.
See, when
we touch
something . . .
That
was more
than a little
touch.
The electrons
in the atoms of
my fist transferred force
particles to the electrons
in the atoms of
your arm.
Physicists
call these particles
“
bosons
.” Bosons are
force CARRiERS.
. . . we’re not
technically
touching.
imagine we’re
both wearing ice
skates, standing in
the middle of an
ice rink.
I pass
a basketball
to you. When you
catch the
ball . . .
. . . it’s going
to cause you to
slide back.
And if I pass
it back to you, it
will push us even
farther apart.
Right! That
basketball is like
the
force carrier
in particle
physics.
22
