1. A quantum number in particle physics that characterizes certain properties of elementary particles and is conserved in strong and electromagnetic interactions.
Usage: physics; technical

Examples

• In the Standard Model, hypercharge is a fundamental quantum number assigned to quarks and leptons.
• The hypercharge of a particle determines how it interacts with the electroweak force.
• Physicists use hypercharge along with weak isospin to predict particle behavior in high-energy experiments.
• The conservation of hypercharge is essential for understanding certain decay processes in particle physics.