Space between atoms?

[DHS1]

Hey. I have a question that me and a friend just thought of.

Ok. So atoms make up everything in the universe, right? Well. I know atoms consist of a nucleus and electron(s). The nucleus is less than 1% of the whole atoms volume. And an electron is 1/1800 the size of a nucleus... so you can say they really have no percentage of volume in the atom. So approx. 99% of an atom is nothingness.

Well, since everything is made up of atoms, and atoms are only 1% of something, then everything is only 1% of something? And the other 99% of everything is nothing?

So right now, I am 99% nothing, right?

PS: I asked this question to two of my chemistry teachers. One said we still have things to learn. The other said "some things are best left unthought of".

[Sylphid]

Re: Space between atoms?

Try wikipedia.

Also I don't like your second teacher's way of thinking. That's a really ****ty way of going about things...

[Windscarredfaith]

Re: Space between atoms?

That's actually pretty weird if you think about it... I wouldn't have an answer for you though.

[RandomPscho]

Re: Space between atoms?

Looking for an answer I found a cool quote:

A beach ball is mostly empty space, yet you cannot run through a room full of them.

Sorry I don't know the answer.

[DARKSAMUS]

Re: Space between atoms?

Your wrong an atom is everything even the air... Not just 1% of things

[iwillowndavid]

Re: Space between atoms?

Yeah but theres no air in between the nucleus and its electrons

[DARKSAMUS]

Re: Space between atoms?

Then what are you talkng about? Everything is made up of atoms. There is no space in between atoms either.

[strongbad50]

Re: Space between atoms?

There is space between atoms. How else would they collide and therefore create heat?

[Kilroy_x]

Re: Space between atoms?

Coulomb (sp) barrier. Electromagnetic resistence. High school science teachers are fools, even I know this and only as a result of one book.

There was a long period in history when people rejected the idea of the atom as being impossible because of this. Rene descartes famously and wrongly said that "nature abhors a vacuum".

Basically, the force of gravity is so weak that objects don't reach singularity and the natural force of repulsion (the thing which makes it so you can stand on the ground instead of falling through it) keeps atoms apart from each other to a very small extent. The individual components of atoms manage to stay apart because of this reason as well as the properties of the atom: The nucleus is actually so small that despite it being charged opposite to other particles within the atom, these particles actually can't collapse inwards into the atom so they remain in orbit.

Well, the problem with quantum physics is that you can describe things at the atomic level using a wave formula or a particle forumula, and I'm sort of (poorly) combining the two to try and give an explanation (badly). This is likely due to my extreme poverty of knowledge in the area.

But if you describe it as a wave the idea is that the wave that encompasses the nucleus can't collapse into the nucleus because it wouldn't "fit".


If you want to get an explanation that doesn't suck you should ask a physicist, or maybe even just a chemist or electrical engineer who isn't some idiot high school teacher.

[Metheawsome]

Re: Space between atoms?

I think recently that the scientific communtity was talking about what Protons and Electrons were made of and people think there's a smaller thing making up the atom.

What are those things made out of then?

I know it's kind of off topic but I'm curious.

[MeaCulpa]

Re: Space between atoms?

The number of sub-subatomic particles my surprise you, then.

[RandomPscho]

Re: Space between atoms?

I think recently that the scientific communtity was talking about what Protons and Electrons were made of and people think there's a smaller thing making up the atom.

What are those things made out of then?

I know it's kind of off topic but I'm curious.

Nutrinos
Quarks
And I can't remember any more off the top of my head. :\ Tachyons are believed by some.

String theory deals with the question "what is the smallest 'thing,'" amoung other problems.

[iwillowndavid]

Re: Space between atoms?

electrons, neutrinos, and quarks are as far as theyve got

[DHS1]

Re: Space between atoms?

I just got an email from my chemistry teacher. He said:

Atoms are made of protons and neutrons and electrons. The nucleus
makes up less than one-trillionth of the volume of an atom. So, atoms
are mostly empty space. The size of the atom is dictated by the
electrons, which are believed to be point-like particles that have no
size (volume) only mass. So the electrons are nothing in terms of size.
Protons and neutrons have some size, albeit small. However, the
protons and neutrons in the nucleus are made of quarks, which are also
believed to be points. The quarks have mass and charge like electrons,
but no size. So everything is made of atoms which are made of quarks
and electrons, which have no size. So, in terms of volume, anything is
made of nothing. But, somehow, that nothing makes everything!

O_O;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

[ffrrocksya]

Re: Space between atoms?

yeah try wikipedia. it's very helpful