Can Anti-Energy Exist and What Would It Mean for Our Understanding of Physics?

[Lazernugget]

First of all, can someone explain what energy exactly is? Then, explain why or why not Anti-energy could exist? If it could, so many new possibilities could open up..I could come up with so many ideas about it...Eh, so, those are my questions, hope you can answer


-Lazer

 

[Pengwuino]

No. What does anti-energy even mean?

 

[Lazernugget]

Matter. Anti-Matter

Energy. Anti-Energy

 

[Bloodthunder]

Energy is usually understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems.

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You mean where the "anti-energy" has the same mass and yet opposite charge as compared to the corresponding energy, and energy-antienergy interaction causes annihilation of both to produce 2 photons? Seeing how energy has neither mass nor charge, no.

Or are you talking about negative energy? That exists. Gravitation potential energy is negative.

 

[Nabeshin]

Or are you talking about negative energy? That exists. Gravitation potential energy is negative.

Eerh, not really. This is just because we choose the zero point to be at infinity. Only differences in potential energies are meaningful anyways.

Negative energy DOES exist though, see the casimir effect, for example.

It's already been explained but I will stress:
The anti- attached to matter has a very specific meaning. The anti means that the particles have opposite electric charge.
It does not imply that antimatter has negative (or opposite) mass. This is essentially equivalent to negative energy, which as I've said, does exist (although you should not get too excited -- the amount is incredibly small.)

 

[Pengwuino]

Matter. Anti-Matter

Energy. Anti-Energy

You can't just put "anti" in front of other words and claim such a thing exists. Anti-matter actually MEANS something. Anti-matter is normal matter's charge conjugated cousin. Charge conjugation of energy makes no sense.

The anti- attached to matter has a very specific meaning. The anti means that the particles have opposite electric charge.
It does not imply that antimatter has negative (or opposite) mass. This is essentially equivalent to negative energy, which as I've said, does exist (although you should not get too excited -- the amount is incredibly small.)

Anti-matter is more than simply electric charge sign changes (think neutrinos). It's a reversal of all quantum numbers. And I believe the description of the vacuum as being "negative energy" is suspect.

 

[Nabeshin]

Anti-matter is more than simply electric charge sign changes (think neutrinos). It's a reversal of all quantum numbers. And I believe the description of the vacuum as being "negative energy" is suspect.

Yes, I know (on both points!). Trying to be concrete and simple to illustrate the point I was attempting to make. (Although a discussion of the 'negative energy' in the casimir effect could be fun)

 

[ZapperZ]

Nebeshin: I suggest that you do not make any assumption on what the OP is asking. He/she was asked to define what is meant by "anti energy", and all he/she could muster is emphasizing the word "anti" in front of it.

Note also that no one has used the term "negative energy" to be "anti energy" (or else, that phrase would have been used). So let's not get all muddled up in this until the OP comes back and make some effort in defining what it is.

Zz.

 

[Lazernugget]

Well, what I was asking was if somehow, there could be some force that is the opposite of the forces that energy implies, a force not made or particles, (Like energy) that would be explained in the opposite way that energy is. So, the complete opposite of energy, something with force that cancels out energy (Like how antimatter causes matter and itself to cancel out and be destroyed.

 

[ZapperZ]

Well, what I was asking was if somehow, there could be some force that is the opposite of the forces that energy implies, a force not made or particles, (Like energy) that would be explained in the opposite way that energy is. So, the complete opposite of energy, something with force that cancels out energy (Like how antimatter causes matter and itself to cancel out and be destroyed.

No, there isn't any, not the way you've defined it.

Zz.

 

[Drakkith]

Well, what I was asking was if somehow, there could be some force that is the opposite of the forces that energy implies, a force not made or particles, (Like energy) that would be explained in the opposite way that energy is. So, the complete opposite of energy, something with force that cancels out energy (Like how antimatter causes matter and itself to cancel out and be destroyed.

Your understanding of the forces of nature is flawed. Forces are NOT made of particles. Energy is not something that can be "cancelled out". The entire idea behind energy is the ability do perform work. What is the opposite of that? Not being able to do work? Then we already have that, it's called having no energy.

Antimatter and matter do not cancel one another out.(To my knowledge) The event is called annihilation and results in the conversion of the original particles to new ones and photons. Saying they cancel each other is like saying an electron and a proton cancel each other when the electron is captured in an orbital. They do not, they simply exist in a different "state" if you will.

 

[Naty1]

So we don't confuse Lazer:

(a) Answers in this forum are supposed to rely on existing, peer approved, theory and or experimental evidence...and none of that applies to "anti energy"...whatever it means.

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(b) "Forces are NOT made of particles."

of course they are at quantum scales...just not in classical theory...

Radiation, electromagnetic force is carried by photons; the strong force is carried by quarks and gluons,etc,etc..gravity is carried by gravitons, and do forth.

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Try reading about dark energy, in Wikipediafor example, and see if that might be an aspect of what you mean.


Anti energy is not a concept I've heard of in physics, whatever you mean, but maybe you are thinking of different forms of energy that cancel or overcome other forms? That's common...and some, like dark energy, is not understood very well at all.

 

[Lazernugget]

(a) Ok

(b) I was talking about the quantum scale anyway.

(c) I will.

I guess I have my answer, guys.

 

[Drakkith]

(b) "Forces are NOT made of particles."

of course they are at quantum scales...just not in classical theory...

Radiation, electromagnetic force is carried by photons; the strong force is carried by quarks and gluons,etc,etc..gravity is carried by gravitons, and do forth.

To my knowledge the interpretation of force carriers works only in certain areas. I don't think anyone can say that forces are made of particles. I believe the idea of virtual particles and force carriers greatly helps the math and with visualizing things, but it is not the only way to calculate things. However, I could be incorrect.

 

[boffinwannabe]

Energy is not something that can be "cancelled out". The entire idea behind energy is the ability do perform work. What is the opposite of that? Not being able to do work?

the ability to remove the potential for work? you will ask me what is that, I am not sure. The removal of zero point energy?

 

[Polyrhythmic]

To my knowledge the interpretation of force carriers works only in certain areas. I don't think anyone can say that forces are made of particles. I believe the idea of virtual particles and force carriers greatly helps the math and with visualizing things, but it is not the only way to calculate things. However, I could be incorrect.

You're correct, this has been discussed to death in various "virtual particles"-threads.

 

[ardie]

for anti energy to exist in the universe, the second law of thermodynamics will be violated. you cannot uncook a cooked egg, in the same way u cannot freeze a hoddog without transferring the heat (energy) to somewhere else.
but in one way the expansion of the universe as a whole can be thought of as a process that cools the microstructures of the universe. so let's say you were god, and you put your hands on the edges of the universe and pull everything apart, then you might find the net energy in the universe has decreased (keeping the total internal energy conserved) since the enthropy of the universe must decrease.

 

[boffinwannabe]

eh? sorry but i don't follow that. Pull what apart exactly? space/time? the galaxies?