Antimatter - a kind of a matter?

In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of antimatter and whether it violates the Law of Conservation of Matter and Energy. It is clarified that antimatter is essentially the same as ordinary matter, but with opposite particles. The conversation also mentions that the mass of antimatter particles is generally the same as their matter counterparts, except for differences in charge and spin.
  • #1
matt010nj
18
0
I've been reading posts (already existing) about antimatter and someone wrote "Matter/antimatter collisions, appear to me, to violate the Law of conservation of matter and energy". I've learned from the answers and understand - its not true.
I think now,that antimatter may be considered as kind of a matter just "charged opposit" to particular "sister" piece of a matter. Am I wrong?
Thanks
Matt
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Yes, that is basically correct. Antimatter is exactly the same thing as ordinary matter, expect that you've replaced every particle with its antiparticle.
Also, there is no law that says that MASS has to be conserved (it isn't!), but energy is as you say always conserved.
 
  • #3
Thanks.
Is that also generally true that mass of antimatter's particle is the same as its "sister" matter particle?
 
  • #4
Yes. The mass is generally the same for the matter-antimatter pairs. In fact, everything is the same, except for the charge and spin. They are, of course, opposite.
 

Related to Antimatter - a kind of a matter?

1. What is antimatter?

Antimatter is a type of matter that is composed of particles with the same mass as their corresponding particles in ordinary matter, but with opposite electrical charges. This means that antimatter particles have the same mass as regular particles, but with a positive charge instead of a negative charge.

2. How is antimatter different from regular matter?

Antimatter is fundamentally different from regular matter because it is composed of antiparticles, which have the same mass as regular particles but with opposite charges. When antimatter comes into contact with regular matter, the particles annihilate each other and release a large amount of energy.

3. Where is antimatter found?

Antimatter is rare in our universe and is mostly produced in high-energy environments, such as particle accelerators or in the aftermath of high-energy collisions between particles. Small amounts of antimatter particles have also been detected in cosmic rays and in some radioactive materials.

4. Can antimatter be created or destroyed?

Like regular matter, antimatter cannot be created or destroyed. It can only be converted into energy through annihilation with regular matter. Theoretically, it is possible to create antimatter in a laboratory, but it is a very complex and expensive process.

5. What are the potential uses of antimatter?

Antimatter has many potential uses, including in medical imaging and cancer treatment, as well as in propulsion systems for space travel. However, due to its rarity and difficulty in creating and storing, it is not currently a widely used technology.

Similar threads

  • Other Physics Topics
Replies
11
Views
2K
Replies
12
Views
1K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
8
Views
1K
Replies
10
Views
3K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
1
Views
1K
Replies
10
Views
2K
  • Other Physics Topics
Replies
4
Views
1K
Replies
6
Views
2K
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
34
Views
4K
Back
Top