About the repulsive force between two electrons

[intothefire]

hi,

I have read that the process of repulsion between two similar charges, such as two electrons, is mediated by the exchange of a photon. This photon somehow merges with the nearby electron and somehow directs the electron to move in the opposite direction. Is this correct?

I don't quite understand how this might work though. If the exchange of photons is the only method by which information is exchanged between the two electrons which represents the phenomenon of electromagnetic repulsion; then how does the emitted photon from the one electron know in which direction and speed to travel to order to intercept the neighboring approaching second electron?

Is there something implicit here about the fabric of spacetime that tells both electrons where each one is positioned in relation to the other electron? Something related to loop quantum gravity perhaps or some similar theory?

thanks for your time

 

[Vanadium 50]

Is this correct?

No.

 

[PeterDonis]

I have read

Where? Please give a specific reference.

Is this correct?

It's not really specific enough to tell. The actual physics is (a) much more complicated, and (b) not expressed in vague ordinary language, but in precise math.

We have an Insights article that might be helpful in clarifying the actual physics as well as describing common misconceptions about it:

https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/misconceptions-virtual-particles/

This article from the Usenet Physics FAQ might also be helpful:

http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Quantum/virtual_particles.html

 

[intothefire]

Where? Please give a specific reference.
It's not really specific enough to tell. The actual physics is (a) much more complicated, and (b) not expressed in vague ordinary language, but in precise math.

We have an Insights article that might be helpful in clarifying the actual physics as well as describing common misconceptions about it:

https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/misconceptions-virtual-particles/

This article from the Usenet Physics FAQ might also be helpful:

http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Quantum/virtual_particles.html

There were 2 or 3 sentences about it in a popular science book called: Before the Big Bang: The Prehistory of Our Universe by Brian Clegg

 

[PeterDonis]

There were 2 or 3 sentences about it in a popular science book called: Before the Big Bang: The Prehistory of Our Universe by Brian Clegg

Pop science books are generally not valid sources for PF discussion, and you should be very, very careful about taking what you read in them as giving you actual understanding of the science. I would suggest the links I gave as a much better starting point for building your understanding.

 

[intothefire]

Okay, I will study them; thank you

 

[vanhees71]

There were 2 or 3 sentences about it in a popular science book called: Before the Big Bang: The Prehistory of Our Universe by Brian Clegg

Interesting that people buy books, which title suggests that the authors writes about something we definitely do not know anything about at all. ;-)).

 

[intothefire]

Interesting that people buy books, which title suggests that the authors writes about something we definitely do not know anything about at all. ;-)).

Usually I try to borrow them from my public library first. After I read them, if I feel that the book is high quality then I will buy a used copy online cheaply (usually). I just returned it to the library, but this topic was occupying my thoughts because I wondered most of my life how this worked physically.

This isn't the first popular science book that I read that described electromagnetic repulsion in terms of an exchange of photons between similar charges.