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welshtyke
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Please can anyone explain to me why things appear solid and the texture of things. Given that everything consists of atoms which are 99.999+% of empty space.
Our perception of solid objects is due to the way our brain processes visual information. When light reflects off of an object, our eyes receive the information and send it to our brain, which then interprets it as a solid object. This is because our brain has learned to associate certain visual cues, such as shape, texture, and shading, with solidity.
Objects maintain their shape because of the forces between their particles. The particles in an object are constantly moving and interacting with each other, creating a balance of forces that keeps the object in its shape. This is known as the solid state of matter, where the particles are tightly packed and have low energy.
The feeling of solidity or softness of an object is determined by the arrangement of its particles. In solid objects, the particles are tightly packed and have little room to move, making them feel solid. In soft objects, such as pillows or foam, the particles are loosely packed and can be easily compressed, giving them a softer feel.
Yes, objects can have properties of both solids and liquids. This state of matter is known as a "viscoelastic" material, where the particles have some solid-like qualities, such as maintaining their shape, but also have some liquid-like qualities, such as being able to flow and change shape under pressure.
This is because of the scales at which we perceive objects. At a macroscopic level, objects may appear solid, but at a microscopic level, the particles that make up the object have a lot of empty space between them. For example, an atom is mostly empty space, but when billions of atoms come together, they can form solid objects that appear to be completely filled.