Question:
Is everything in the universe made up of atoms?
anonymous
2013-09-07 10:33:34 UTC
Is EVERYTHING in our universe made up of atoms and subatomic particles, or are there things that are not made up of atoms (e.g. light, the mind, gravity...) I don't know what is and what is not made up of atoms, hence the question.

Thanks
Seven answers:
oldprof
2013-09-07 11:09:38 UTC
Nope, not at all. None of the sub atomic particles (SAPs) is made up of atoms; that includes the fermions and bosons. In large part, the SAPs are what make up atoms.



The fermions, quarks, neutrinos, and electrons, make up atoms. Quarks and electrons are full-time constituents of all atoms. Neutrinos are part-time residents depending on spontaneous reactions that might be going on. For example, the anti-neutrino takes part in the so-called negative beta decay process.



The bosons are the sub atomic particles that carry the force messages for the strong and weak atomic forces, and for the electron magnetic force. They interact with atoms, but are not an intrinsic part of them. The newly discovered Higgs Boson is a bit different in that it carries the "you are mass" message and causes most all other sub atomic particles to have mass properties. The mass-less photons and gluons are notable exceptions.



Gravity is not an atom. Some say it's a force like the other three in that it has the graviton as the force message carrier. But I think that's unlikely. It's more likely an effect caused by deformed space, per the general theory of relativity. In either model; it's not an atom.



Bottom line objects that can be sensed with or without aids by any one or more of your five senses are made up of atoms and, usually, molecules made up of atoms. The SAPs are the exceptions as many are the constituents of atoms and the others interact with them.
?
2013-09-07 19:12:45 UTC
If you can touch it its probably made of atoms (protons, neutrons and electrons). If you can see it its probably reflecting or giving off photon particles. If its electrical (so that includes the brain and your mind) electron particles will be flowing through the atoms that create different pathways.



If there's nothing there then there might be anti matter ( anti protons, anti neutrons and positrons). If real and anti matter collide they are both destroyed. If it is any of the above it interacts with the Higgs Boson field.



And one theory suggests that for all of the above particles there are ones that don't interact with the Higgs field (have no mass).
gяєєи
2013-09-07 10:34:52 UTC
EVERYTHING is atoms nothing is solid liquid or gas atoms makes what everything is we could possibly touch though anything but because atoms are moving so fast they are bouncing every touch re make
Gav
2013-09-07 10:36:47 UTC
Yes is the simple answer. Even light is made up of particles.
?
2013-09-07 10:34:32 UTC
It goes even deeper look up string theory



You'll quickly realise that the Universe only has about 0.01 mass the rest is empty space.
Robert
2013-09-07 10:41:32 UTC
we do not know everything about the Universe so there cannot be a complete answer
Shannon
2013-09-08 01:47:56 UTC
Everything is made up of atoms. EVERYTHING.


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
Loading...