Electron Charge: What Makes Electrons Attract/Repel?

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter mkbh_10
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Charge Electronic
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the nature of electron charge, specifically what causes electrons to have charge and the underlying reasons for the attraction and repulsion between them. It touches on theoretical concepts, fundamental questions about the origins of charge, and the implications of the Big Bang on particle physics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express curiosity about the fundamental nature of electron charge and its origins, questioning why electrons possess charge and what causes their interactions.
  • One participant suggests that, according to quantum electrodynamics, charged objects interact by exchanging virtual photons, likening it to a game of baseball where they repel or attract each other.
  • Another participant raises the issue of whether charge existed before the Big Bang or was created during it, indicating a sense of being stuck on this fundamental question.
  • A later reply mentions that the origin of mass and charge is currently unsolvable, referencing Feynman's lectures on the limitations of physics in addressing such questions, particularly regarding the state of science at the time of the Big Bang.
  • One participant notes that the Big Bang produced many photons, which led to the creation of fundamental particles, but questions why this specific set of particles exists remains unresolved.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a shared curiosity about the origins of charge and the fundamental nature of electrons, but there is no consensus on the answers to these questions. Multiple competing views and uncertainties remain regarding the implications of the Big Bang and the nature of charge.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge the limitations of current scientific understanding regarding the origins of charge and mass, particularly in relation to the Big Bang, indicating that these topics are still open for exploration and debate.

mkbh_10
Messages
217
Reaction score
0
Tell me what makes electron have a charge , what is that property of electron due to which there is attraction /repulsion between two electrons ?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
mkbh_10 said:
Tell me what makes electron have a charge , what is that property of electron due to which there is attraction /repulsion between two electrons ?

The simplest answer to your questions is: that is the way things are. Electrons have charge and like charges repel.
 
I'm no expert on this, but according to quantum electrodynamics, two charged objects attract or repel because they exchange virtual photons. It's like they're hitting baseballs back and forth, which makes them repel each other (or attract).
 
i knw this but what is the fundamental reason for this to happen ., from where did the charge came, was it present befor big bang , did it get created when big bang happened , I am stuck ,.lol...
 
It's the origin question... I think I read in Feynman's lectures once that what sets physics apart was the fact that it doesn't have an origin question, or rather, that it is unsolvable. It's one of the most important questions we can pose, but the problem is, right now it is unsolvable. At the Big Bang, for example, all our science breaks down, so we can't make any predictions about what was before the Big Bang. If our mass and our charge came from somewhere before the Big Bang, then right now we cannot say where the mass and charge came from!

I wonder if we'll ever get to know.
 
As a result of the big bang lots of photons were created. Photon interactions led to the production of various fundamental particles (quarks and leptons). Why this particular set of particles is one of the great unknowns.
 

Similar threads

High School How is surface charge accumulated?
  • · Replies 36 ·
2
Replies
36
Views
7K
High School Problems I Have With Electrostatics and Pith Ball Experiments
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
5K
High School Thought Experiment on Charge Carriers and Electrical Conduction
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
915
Undergrad If an electron is repelled by another electron how do we get current?
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
2K
High School High voltage batteries and charge distribution
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
Undergrad Meaning of "Static Electricity" and Physical Interpretation
  • · Replies 20 ·
Replies
20
Views
2K
High School Can electrons pass through a positively charged disc in electrostatic induction?
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K
High School Magnetic Fields and Particle Movement: How Do Magnets Affect Electrons?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Undergrad Free electrons in an accelerated metal?
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K
High School Basic questions regarding theory of electrical capacitance
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K