- #1
liometopum
- 127
- 24
It is common to see this line: "atoms are mostly empty space". That line appears inadequate and misleading.
Atoms are ultimately made up of electrons and quarks. Electrons and quarks are by definition 'point particles', meaning they have no spatial extent. So there is nothing there that takes up space.
Wouldn't it be more accurate to state something like 'atoms have mass and electrical fields but there is nothing there that takes up space', or, in the spirit of the 'mostly empty space' line to say 'atoms are nothing but empty space'. That is a bit extreme because of presence of fields but there is nothing there that actually takes up space since we are dealing with point particles.
Any ideas on this?
Atoms are ultimately made up of electrons and quarks. Electrons and quarks are by definition 'point particles', meaning they have no spatial extent. So there is nothing there that takes up space.
Wouldn't it be more accurate to state something like 'atoms have mass and electrical fields but there is nothing there that takes up space', or, in the spirit of the 'mostly empty space' line to say 'atoms are nothing but empty space'. That is a bit extreme because of presence of fields but there is nothing there that actually takes up space since we are dealing with point particles.
Any ideas on this?