Scientists say that all physical matter is mostly empty space, then why is it that we see solid matter?

Question

We see faces, tables, chairs, why? when its mostly just empty space with only a tiny percentage of actual atoms??

Answer 1

because a lot of little things add up to a big thing. And the big thing is visible.

Answer 2

If you think of photons and electrons and such as tiny dots of stuff buzzing around in empty space, you'll be misled. Quantum physics has shown that you have to consider them as wave functions. So even though individual electrons, considered as particles, leave lots of empty space around an atom's nucleus, their wave functions actually fill that space. So a photon zipping toward toward the atom doesn't have to score a lucky hit on a tiny orbiting electron in order to get stopped.

In what we call solid matter, the wave function of an incoming photon and the wave function of an electron are bound to interact because there is no empty space that is not "occupied" by electron waves. Depending on the energies involved, the photon will be either reflected back, enabling you to see the object, absorbed, or in the case of a transparent material, passed along to the next electron in the path.

Answer 3

If you look at an atom, it is mostly empty space. The nucleus is tiny, the electron is tiny, and it's extremely far away from the nucleus (relatively). But in the real world, it's the electron shells that we interact with and touch. You can't touch the nucleus.

It's like everything is made out of tiny bubbles. Technically there's a lot of empty space inside the bubbles but you don't see it and can't touch it.

Answer 4

if all depends on your perspective. if you're talking about the universe in whole, than most of the actual universe is occupied by empty space. only a small percentage of the universe actually has matter in it. now to us, we see huge planets and solar systems that make up galaxies. we look at far off galaxies with their huge stars and planets but thats because its from out perspective. on a universal perspecitve there is more empty space than matter. just think of how mind boggling it is to think that what we are amazed at how big and massive thngs are, really are just considered small on the largest of scales. makes you feel ultra tiny, no?

Answer 5

What you're actually seeing is waves of light reflected from the object. The protons hit the rods & cones in your retina to be converted to signals in the brain. Since the rods & cones are so much larger than the space between atom pieces (we can't see electrons), the gaps between the atomic particles are not visible. We just see it as one coheisive unit of wood.

Answer 6

Our eyes have evolved to take advantage of some of the wavelengths of light that are reflected by the molecules of the objects that we see. Even though it is true that at the atomic scale individual units of matter are separated by relatively great expanses of space, at our scale they appear to be packed very tightly, with little if any space in-between.

Answer 7

They are talking sub atomic levels...the electrons, protons and neutrons are much smaller than the space they are contained in....Proton and neutron make a tight nucleua and electrons spin around them like earth dos around sun....these particles are much smaller than the space between thme...that space is what the scintists are reffering to.

Answer 8

it is mostly empty space with atoms spaced apart. compounds are a bit bulkier with their bonding and that forms a nextwork we can detect

Answer 9

Because our eyes are constructed to see macroscopic things, not molecules and atoms and their particles.

Anyway, what event is more dangerous: to be hit by a molecule, or to be hit by a stone? Think about it and the answer will come to You by itself.

Answer 10

solid items can take the light and bounce it back...
"invisible" items do not bounce the light back to the eye

plus the eye can only see some colors in light, not all, so even if an item looks invisible it may just be that the light bouncing off does not "touch" our eyes

Answer 11

Think of it like a sphere. Inside the sphere is nothing. It's merely the surface that you see.