Is matter a particular form of energy?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the relationship between matter and energy, emphasizing that while energy is a property of matter, they are not the same entity. Participants assert that matter is described by quantum fields and their excitations, and that particles possess properties such as momentum and charge, but are not equivalent to energy itself. The conversation highlights the complexities of defining physical matter within the framework of Quantum Field Theory (QFT) and the Standard Model of particle physics.

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TL;DR
The nature of physical matter
Energy and mass are interdependent and electrons can manifest as particles and fields as do all other particles, but is it generally true that physical(classical) matter is a peculiar type of energy that can(for some reason? What?) manifest as physical objects?
 
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CoolMint said:
Summary:: The nature of physical matter

Energy and mass are interdependent and electrons can manifest as particles and fields as do all other particles, but is it generally true that physical(classical) matter is a peculiar type of energy that can(for some reason? What?) manifest as physical objects?
:welcome:

Energy is a property of matter and fields, but matter and fields have other properties besides energy: momentum, angular momentum (both vector quantities) and charge, for example.
 
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PeroK said:
:welcome:

Energy is a property of matter and fields, but matter and fields have other properties besides energy: momentum, angular momentum (both vector quantities) and charge, for example.
What is the closest notion that describes physical matter from the point of view of qm? Matter is far from being solid substance and we experience it via exchange particles. These exchange particles, if real, are energy, right?
 
CoolMint said:
What is the closest notion that describes physical matter from the point of view of qm?

Matter is described as quantum fields and their excitations.

CoolMint said:
particles, if real, are energy

No. Again, particles are "things", and energy is a property of those things. You don't say that red and apples are the same thing, and in the same way matter and energy are not the same thing.
 
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weirdoguy said:
Matter is described as quantum fields and their excitations.
No. Again, particles are "things", and energy is a property of those things. You don't say that red and apples are the same thing, and in the same way matter and energy are not the same thing.
Quantum particles aren't really things and this is why I was looking for a close counterpart. It seems there is none.
 
CoolMint said:
Quantum particles aren't really things

I guess it depends how you define "things" but I think most of us here would agree (at the B level of this thread) that quantum particles ARE things and energy is not.
 
CoolMint said:
What is the closest notion that describes physical matter from the point of view of qm? Matter is far from being solid substance and we experience it via exchange particles. These exchange particles, if real, are energy, right?
Matter is decsribed by the standard model of particle physics, which is underpinned by QFT (Quantum Field Theory). Particle interactions (in particular the electromagnetic interaction) can be calculated by considering the exchange of virtual photons. Particles cannot be energy any more than particles can be momentum or can be spin. Particles have energy, momentum, charge and spin.

Why matter is solid, liquid or gas depends on how molecules bind together and that is described by QM and chemistry.
 
CoolMint said:
Quantum particles aren't really things and this is why I was looking for a close counterpart. It seems there is none.
Given that all matter is composed of quantum particles, then anything isn't really a thing! But, saying some things are things and some things aren't things is just playing with words. It's not physics.
 

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