Electroweak force is the name given to the unified electromagnetic and weak interactions. The two interactions are viewed as different combinations of one underlying force, hence the term unified. The electroweak force acts differently between particles depending on the direction of their spins. Along with the familiar photon, three more particles, called the Z, W+ , and W- , mediate the electroweak force.

Electromagnetic interactions involve electric charge and electric currents, as well as electric and magnetic fields. Weak interactions are mainly involved in the decay of unstable particles, such as nuclear beta decay or muon decay. At first glance, weak interactions may seem different and unrelated. However, in much the same way that electricity and magnetism were found to be differenct aspects of the same interaction by James Clerk Maxwell, a correct description of the weak force cannot be done without also including the electromagnetic force...