- #1
AmagicalFishy
- 50
- 1
"Electric charge is a theoretical given . . ."
Hi, folks. First, I'd like to say that although I plan to major in physics next semester, I know very little of it now. My lack of posts doesn't reflect how often I frequent this forum, though. While browsing a thread asking what "charge" is, I read this reply:
. . . to which people seemed to offer a negative reaction to. My assumption for the reason is that it's more on the philosophical side and less on the physical side, but could someone explain why this answer was looked down upon? It made sense to me, but that may be my ignorance nodding. Do we know what charge is, what causes it, etc., and not just its effects—or are they one in the same?
(And, if you don't mind, I'd like someone who didn't post the original quote to answer; that'd defeat the purpose. )
Hi, folks. First, I'd like to say that although I plan to major in physics next semester, I know very little of it now. My lack of posts doesn't reflect how often I frequent this forum, though. While browsing a thread asking what "charge" is, I read this reply:
Electric charge is a theoretical given. It is an unexplained starting point for theoretically explaining special effects. Theoretical explanations may or may not be correct. They are educated guesses. No one knows what electric charge is. We do know a great deal about its effects. Those effects are seen as patterns in changes of velocity. We know neither the origin of electric charge or of polarity.
. . . to which people seemed to offer a negative reaction to. My assumption for the reason is that it's more on the philosophical side and less on the physical side, but could someone explain why this answer was looked down upon? It made sense to me, but that may be my ignorance nodding. Do we know what charge is, what causes it, etc., and not just its effects—or are they one in the same?
(And, if you don't mind, I'd like someone who didn't post the original quote to answer; that'd defeat the purpose. )