So I am mostly empty space and so are the rest of you. It’s amazing how solid empty space can feel, though, and knowing it’s mostly empty doesn’t change that.
Sev, the implication is that field interactions such as London forces are part of what is involved in the solidity and resistance to deflection of matter. As molecules are squashed together, large repulsive forces develop, which is what we are sensing. And yes, insifar as it makes sense, most of an atom is “empty” space. KF
Yes, London forces are preferable to New York or San Francisco forces which collapse easily and leave an ugly mess. 😉
One can also think of the “solid” feel we experience (at one scale anyway) as the bonding forces within molecules resisting deformation. When a neutrino zips through us, it sees the earth as a faint vapor–not very solid at all.
So I am mostly empty space and so are the rest of you. It’s amazing how solid empty space can feel, though, and knowing it’s mostly empty doesn’t change that.
Sev, the implication is that field interactions such as London forces are part of what is involved in the solidity and resistance to deflection of matter. As molecules are squashed together, large repulsive forces develop, which is what we are sensing. And yes, insifar as it makes sense, most of an atom is “empty” space. KF
Yes, London forces are preferable to New York or San Francisco forces which collapse easily and leave an ugly mess. 😉
One can also think of the “solid” feel we experience (at one scale anyway) as the bonding forces within molecules resisting deformation. When a neutrino zips through us, it sees the earth as a faint vapor–not very solid at all.
-Q
I had some fun with this at: https://thopid.blogspot.com/2019/02/what-are-you.html
Yes, you are mostly empty space, but it’s even worse than that.
Fasteddious,
Very nice post! 🙂
-Q