Science

Igel

(37,550 posts)

13. Exactly.

Sat Sep 1, 2012, 07:22 PM

Sep 2012

Think helium and neon. They're atoms.

They stay in baloons and in lights.

Well, there are little pores in baloons that they helium can escape through, but so can oxygen and nitrogen molecules. Helium's smaller, it has an easier time. But don't confuse going through pores with passing through solid objects. The pores mean that the baloon isn't quite as solid as we think.

Electrons have an easier time. They can tunnel. But that's not a for-sure thing, it's not like they just "pass through" in any normal sense of the phrase.

It always freaks out my students when I point out how few forces there really are. All those chemical bonds? Friction? Crashing your car into a tree? Lightning? All the same.

Want a truly stupendous Nobel Prize? Find a novel force.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

39 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Since atoms are mostly "empty space," [View all] ZombieHorde Sep 2012 OP

imo yes proud patriot Sep 2012 #1

Try sticking your hand through a solid object flyingfysh Sep 2012 #2

Ouch! That was bad advice. ZombieHorde Sep 2012 #3

We only perceive a very small part of reality johnd83 Sep 2012 #4

I take comfort in that thought. nt ZombieHorde Sep 2012 #34

solid objects are objectively solid in the sense that we can't pass thru them phantom power Sep 2012 #5

I blame quantum myself intaglio Sep 2012 #6

A science assembly project Generic Other Sep 2012 #7

Perception is strictly a subjective experience. Jim__ Sep 2012 #8

I see you are predicting some of my future OPs. ZombieHorde Sep 2012 #9

One of my favorite illusions ... eppur_se_muova Sep 2012 #11

Color is definitely a mental construct... DreamGypsy Sep 2012 #18

No. That "empty" space is pervaded by fields, such as the EM field ... eppur_se_muova Sep 2012 #10

Thanks for the info. I like the magnet analogy, because it relatable. ZombieHorde Sep 2012 #12

Exactly. Igel Sep 2012 #13

That is really interesting to me. Thanks for posting. nt ZombieHorde Sep 2012 #14

It's actually electron degeneracy pressure that keeps atoms from collapsing... DreamGypsy Sep 2012 #17

Well, that's what keeps the electrons in atoms from collapsing inward ... eppur_se_muova Sep 2012 #19

DAMMIT, you beat me to the magnet analogy! Odin2005 Sep 2012 #24

When I was little, my sister always blamed me for anything that happened to her Tyrs WolfDaemon Sep 2012 #15

So naughty! ZombieHorde Sep 2012 #16

Yeah, but when she invents the oscillation overthruster, won't you look silly ! eppur_se_muova Sep 2012 #20

It will never happen Monkey-Boy! Bigboot� is watching her! Tyrs WolfDaemon Sep 2012 #21

Beat me to it. Stryder Sep 2012 #30

This message was self-deleted by its author kickysnana Sep 2012 #22

That's so mean, but hilarious! Odin2005 Sep 2012 #25

"Solidity" is an emergent phenomenon of... Odin2005 Sep 2012 #23

Sigh! No! It is an expression of Quantum Electrodynamics. longship Sep 2012 #26

Solidity is... Speck Tater Sep 2012 #27

Funny, but the analogy of repulsive parents seems to fit. nt ZombieHorde Sep 2012 #33

Sorry, but atoms are not "mostly empty". DetlefK Sep 2012 #28

By "subjective," I did not mean imaginary, I meant subjective to our size. ZombieHorde Sep 2012 #31

Then yes. DetlefK Sep 2012 #39

How do you know atoms are mostly empty space except through perception? GodlessBiker Sep 2012 #29

Well, I have not personally perceived nothing about individual atoms, only clumps of atoms. ZombieHorde Sep 2012 #32

Rutherford's gold foil experiment is how we found out that atoms are mostly empty space johnd83 Sep 2012 #36

I learned something! nt ZombieHorde Sep 2012 #35

Being that we all experience the phenomenon of solidity the same, then gtar100 Sep 2012 #37

I was thinking subjective due to our size. ZombieHorde Sep 2012 #38