dolimitless
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Why are subatomic particles charged?
It seems to me no one ever discussed why subatomic particles are "charged" - namely protons and electrons?
Is it by convention? or just an inherent characteristic these particles exhibit? or is there reasons or theories governing why such particles are
charged? (and hence given their positive and negative charge properties?
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Mr. Wizard
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Try google for the words charge and quark.
For example this site.
http://education.jlab.org/qa/quark_05.html
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dolimitless
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Thanks for the link, it doesn't explain about electron charge though?
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woelen
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Such a why question is more like a philosophical question than a scientific question. Protons have charge because the underlying more basic particles
have charge and are combined in such a way that there is a net charge. These more basic particles (quarks) have charge and electrons have charge.
Science just concludes that. That's all. If you want a deeper answer, then probably you won't find the answer in science.
Another question, which might be the question you ask is "What is the cause of the presence of charge in subatomic particles?". This is another
question, which is not easily answered at all. Charge is a phenomenon, which exists at the levels of energies we are comfortable with. At MUCH higher
energies there is a 'melting/merging' of subatomic properties and concepts like electromagnetic forces (related to charge), weak nuclear forces and
strong nuclear forces 'melt' together into a more general force (with its own associated 'charge'). If you want to know more about this, then google
with term like unified theories or grand unified theories in physics.
Without charge in the subatomic particles there would be no "dolimitless" who could ask a question about the why 
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jgourlay
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Woelen, your reply reinforces and idea I've had for a while. The obvious part is that there is a "physical" and a "metaphysical". The less obvious
one id that a function of science is to teach us where that boundry lies.
Not that I'm going to say that any of our current knowledge delineates that border, but only that one of sciences (unintended?) functions is to
finally show us where that border lies.
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