particle spin?

Question

can someone explain particle spin in layman's terms. i dont need what particles have what spins, i already know all of that. just what a spin of 1/2 would mean or a spin of 2.

yes, you apprently did not read the question. i already know what particles have what spins, quarks and leptons have 1/2, bosons have integer..blah blah. that still doesnt explain exactly what a spin of 1/2 or 1 or 2 means.

Answer 1

the idea of spin basically was invented to explain the discrepancies of the stern-gerlach experiment. the stern-gerlach experiment predicted an odd number of "smears" of particles representing the m_l quantum numbers, for example -1, 0, 1.

instead experimentally observed was an even number of "smears". this is explained if you introduce a new quantum number s, or spin. this quantum number quantizes the orbital momentum in steps of quantum number l+/-s. which makes quantized angular momentum by intervals of -3/2, -1/2, 1/2, 3/2, etc. which matches experimental result.

spin also is necessary in spin-orbit coupling which is the basis for the zeeman effect, that explains the fine structure of energy level spacings.

there really is no intuitive explanation of spin, the electron doesn't really spin, as it has no experimentally observable geometry. and it's meaningless to describe a point in space as spinning.

Answer 2

I have been trying to figure out how to explain it in simple terms and haven't been too successful. So, I looked it up in Wiki and discovered that there really isn't a simple answer. As near as I can figure out, the 1/2 for an electron was the value needed to make the measurements match the theory. I've included the link below so that you can read the article and (hopefully) get a better idea of what spin actually is)

As for the spins of the other particles, as said in Wiki:

"The energy of any wave is the frequency multiplied by Planck's constant. When the electron was being described by wavefunctions in Dirac's equation, it was found that the spin property of all fundamental particles is a multiple . If this multiple is even the particle is a boson and if it is odd the particle is a fermion."

Answer 3

Spin is what it sounds like - think of the particle as a ball. The ball spins about a diameter and his is analogous to what the particle is doing.

The numbers 1/2, 1, etc. are the quantized spins in units of Planck's constant over 2 pi. Particles with spin 1/2, 3/2, etc are called fermions while particles with spin 0, 1, 2 etc are called bosons. The two types have different rules for how they can be put into a quantized system.

Answer 4

between the bits i admire approximately Quantum Mechanics is the skill of quarks to alter their flavour. Briliant. An Proton can exchange to a neutron in basic terms as a results of fact a quark variations from a as much as a down. does not that fry your suggestions? yet another good one replaced into an test carried out some years in the past regarding an electron. The electron replaced into placed in an ecosystem the place it had to exist in a single airplane or yet another. Freakily adequate it split and shaped a 2d electron and existed in the two planes. while the test replaced into finished between the electrons had disappeared. i detect the style of think of super. the international we are residing in isn't primary. The quantum international is primary. No you, do no longer might desire to get out extra, yet you look to have an activity in physics. Why no longer bypass and study physics further. there's a extensive scarcity international so getting a job may be uncomplicated. Cheers Jon, Yup Maths does help whether some years decrease back there replaced right into a Physics devoid of Maths direction being presented in a united kingdom college. do no longer inquire from me how.