High School How many electrons to make a stable gravitational object?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the feasibility of creating a stable gravitational object composed solely of electrons. It concludes that the electromagnetic force is 23 orders of magnitude stronger than gravitational force, making it impossible for electrons to form a stable object due to their inherent repulsion. The conversation also touches on neutrinos, which, lacking charge, could theoretically form a gravitational object, although practical considerations limit this possibility.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of gravitational and electromagnetic forces
  • Knowledge of charge-to-mass ratio concepts
  • Familiarity with atomic lattice distances
  • Basic principles of particle physics, particularly regarding neutrinos
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the implications of the electromagnetic force's strength compared to gravity
  • Explore the properties and behaviors of neutrinos in gravitational contexts
  • Investigate the charge-to-mass ratios of various particles
  • Study atomic lattice structures and their interactions with forces
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for physicists, students of particle physics, and anyone interested in the fundamental forces of nature and their interactions.

Feynstein100
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I was wondering if we could have an object made up of only electrons. Normally, that wouldn't be possible because electrons repel each other. However, this repulsion can be overcome using gravity. So my question is, how many electrons would you need to have their gravitational attraction overcome the electromagnetic repulsion and form a stable object? Or perhaps is the charge-to-mass ratio of the electron such that the electromagnetic repulsion will always be higher than the gravitational attraction and thus preclude such an object?
Of course, an object like that would not form naturally since the electromagnetic force has the tendency to self-limit via neutralization. So for our purposes, we assume that there aren't any positively charged particles nearby to neutralize our object. There are only electrons.
 
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Feynstein100 said:
So my question is, how many electrons would you need to have their gravitational attraction overcome the electromagnetic repulsion and form a stable object?
What did you find when you did your Google searches to compare the electrostatic force to the gravitational force at typical atomic lattice distances?
 
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berkeman said:
What did you find when you did your Google searches to compare the electrostatic force to the gravitational force at typical atomic lattice distances?
That the electromagnetic force is 23 orders of magnitude stronger than gravity.
Feynstein100 said:
Or perhaps is the charge-to-mass ratio of the electron such that the electromagnetic repulsion will always be higher than the gravitational attraction and thus preclude such an object?
So I guess this is the answer?
 
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Feynstein100 said:
That the electromagnetic force is 23 orders of magnitude stronger than gravity.
Boom! :wink:
 
berkeman said:
Boom! :wink:
I'll take that as a yes 😂 But not so fast. We've still got neutrinos. They don't have charge. So I know you can make a gravitational object out of them 😃 So, indulge me. How many would it take?
 
Neutrinos don't like crowds, so that would not work. They also hate to be anthropomorphized, so I'll have to tie off this thread now before they get their neutrino union involved... :wink:
 
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