Can "space" contain anything?

Question

I mean, if it contained things in our physical world, such as a planet, or a vegetable, then wouldn't it stop being space, by definition, lol, because now there's something taking up the space?

Answer 1

Of course space can contain anything, if you accept that our universe and everything in it is "embedded" in the fabric of spacetime. There are those, however that think space is simply a reference medium for locating objects relative to each other. But even at the smallest level, space can indeed contain things like the one-dimensional "strings" in string theory (otherwise refered to as super string theory or M Theory) that are the very basic constituents of everything else, matter and energy included.

In field theory, all of space is permeated by "fields" of one kind or another representing all the forces of matter and energy. Gravity must somehow exist within any smallest space or within an empty vacuum else it could not propogate and cause the curvature of spacetime that we all feel as a "pull".

If there is no space, nothing can exist in today's universe. But saying that space isn't space anymore because something is in it's place is like saying that water isn't water anymore because you have dissolved some salt or sugar in it. You haven't displaced the water really although you may have increased the volume that the water takes up although the volume of water can stay the same under certain conditions and simply "absorb" what you dissolved in it.

At the quantum level, below the subatomic level (even protons and neutrons are made up of several quarks) and for quantum mechanics to work there has to be a way for space to "contain" things like probability wave of particles that are defined over a stretch of subatomic space and only collapse into "discrete" particle when detected, measured, or other wise observed.

Answer 2

Depends which definition of space you are going by. Websters has many definitions. The most common definition of space is that area outside Earth's atmosphere. That space has many particles in it. Absolute space is commonly known as the void that exists in deep space. You can say there is no matter there (to be truly called absolute space) but what about the starlight passing through it? You can even say it has the force of gravity acting through space.

So I guess it all depends on you definition...

Answer 3

You've almost grasped the paradox Heisenberg was after. :)
The joke is "Space contains EVERYTHING" ;)
But if what you refer to is vacuum, or even just that space between individual molecules and atoms, then no, it cannot contain anything. Scientists come across this problem most often in low temperature experiments, where they try to remove all the energy from a region. But since e=MC^2, any mass that's still in the region is still energy. (And you can't measure te temperature of a vacuum!)

Answer 4

Even where the physical object is located there's space between the subatomic particles of the atom and space within and between the molecules of the object. The only physical objects that come close to not having any internal space within them are black holes.

Answer 5

The leading theory on whether or not "space" contains anything is the dark matter theory. You can read all about dark matter here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_matter

Answer 6

first you define "space" and I'll let you know if everything could fit...Just a small hint ...I'll still say no because who says there is any space at all ....maybe one of us just one of us is imagining the whole thing????

Answer 7

No. It cannot contain something which is larger than it.

Answer 8

extremely tough point. check out with the search engines. that will could help!

Answer 9

no bcuz there is more "space"