I think the simple answer is that these "vibrating" strings have apparent energy unique to the arrangements and frequencies involved which is what constitutes majority of the mass. A very small portion of massive atoms are actual physical particles, the majority is the energy of the gluons holding the quarks together.KarminValso1724 said:Can someone please explain.
The concept of a quantum string is a theoretical framework used to explain the fundamental building blocks of matter. According to string theory, particles are not point-like objects but rather tiny strings that vibrate at different frequencies. The vibration of these strings determines the mass of the particle, with higher frequencies corresponding to higher masses.
The vibration of a quantum string is determined by its length and tension. Shorter strings with higher tension vibrate at higher frequencies, resulting in particles with higher masses. Conversely, longer strings with less tension vibrate at lower frequencies and correspond to particles with lower masses.
The vibration of a quantum string is related to the energy of the particle it represents. According to Einstein's famous equation, E=mc², energy and mass are equivalent. Therefore, the higher the frequency of the string's vibration, the more energy it has, and the more massive the corresponding particle will be.
Yes, the mass of a particle can change if the vibration of its corresponding string changes. In string theory, the different vibrational states of a string correspond to different particles. Changing the vibration of the string would essentially change the type of particle it represents, resulting in a change in mass.
String theory suggests that particles with no vibration, such as photons, are actually closed loops of string with no endpoints. These closed strings do not vibrate but still possess energy, resulting in a massless particle. This concept is known as the "zero-point energy" of the string and plays a crucial role in understanding the mass of massless particles in string theory.