what is string theory??

Question

based on universe

Answer 1

Think of a guitar string that has been tuned by stretching the string under tension across the guitar. Depending on how the string is plucked and how much tension is in the string, different musical notes will be created by the string. These musical notes could be said to be excitation modes of that guitar string under tension.
. In a similar manner, in string theory, the elementary particles we observe in particle accelerators could be thought of as the "musical notes" or excitation modes of elementary strings.
. In string theory, as in guitar playing, the string must be stretched under tension in order to become excited. However, the strings in string theory are floating in spacetime, they aren't tied down to a guitar. Nonetheless, they have tension. The string tension in string theory is denoted by the quantity 1/(2 p a'), where a' is pronounced "alpha prime"and is equal to the square of the string length scale.

Answer 2

String theory is based on particles being vibrating strings and not just pinpoint 'dots'. String theory can unite the different forces in the universe into a grand unified field thoery, which physicists have been trying in vain to achieve over the past 50 years. String theory also predicts that there are many dimensions not the usual four, for our universe. For a more indepth discussion, I would recommend posting your message to astrowhiz on Yahoo Groups.

Answer 3

I've not bought into this theory. I tell you what I know and that won't take long. Like the first answer said, about the musical notes, everything you see, and don't see, matter energy the whole works are, according to my understanding of the theory manifestations of vibrations of the strings. You can't sense the strings only their vibrations.

My problem with this theory is it requires multiple extra dimensions for these strings to stretch out into. I'm not sure how many other dimensions but several of them are required to make this theory work. Thats why the strings are invisible they are stretched across other dimensions. I don't buy it.

Answer 4

Very basically, string theory (..also known as 'M theory') says that all subatomic particles, thus all matter, are made up of super-tiny "strings" of energy that vibrate. The frequency of a particular vibrating string determines what kind of particle results (..electron, proton, neutron, muon, etc.,.)

So far, string theory is nothing more than a system of very complex mathematics that requires up to 11 dimensions to work. It's hoped that if string theory is every perfected it will help unify the four fundamental forces of nature into an interlaced system of physics.

Answer 5

Its a super-complicated mathematical construct to explain how matter exists at the sub-sub atomic level (in effect, the stuff protons and neutrons and maybe even electrons and photons are made of) in a sort of transient state between matter and energy... itty-bitty 'strings' of matter/energy which vibrate in a certain way to be one thing (a quark for example) or in a different way to be an electron. I don't really understand it fully (as I'm sure some science geeks are about to tell me) but I last heard that the theory has been sort of revived due to the newly emerging "M" Theory.

Answer 6

String theory is simply the explanation (the theory that lacks sound scientifical evidence with exception of some solved mathematical anomoly that gave it its fame) that links Einstein's theory of General Relativity (the world of the large) with Quantum Mechanics (the world of the small).

General Relativity includes the notion that gravity is a manifestation of a warped area in the space-time continuum--that both space and time become "bent" or "warped" slightly around dense/heavy objects (our sun being one example). Other less dense/lighter objects become attracted to this warp or "dent" much like a marble falls into the indentation of a rubber sheet created by a bowling ball. (The bowling ball would represent the Sun while the marble the Earth). The Universal Law of Graviation explains the forces/attraction between all matter on the MACROscopic scale. Gravity is the one force unlike the following three which constitute study of Quantum Mechanics: the strong nuclear force (responsible for the bonds between protons and neutrons), the weak nuclear force (responsible for radioactivity), and electromagnetism.

Quantum Mechanics basically describes the world of the small--the world of atoms>>protons, neutrons, and electrons, and in within the understanding of String Theory, "strings" of energy instead of quarks, "points" of energy within protons and neutrons.

Billions and billons of times smaller than atoms themselves, the strings of String Theory are described as bands (either like that of a rubber band--closed, or like one cut with two endpoints) of energy that move and "vibrate" at the right "frequencies" which determine the nature of all things within which they are found. Each string can be thought of as the component of an atom that makes up the atom itself (unlike point "particles" such as quarks).

Strings in this theory, should an experiment be devised to prove their existence, would also create the bridge between the two most seemingly unrelated theories in all of physics, and further go on to explain...everything. With this theory, even the most extreme regions of space (i.e. black holes and the time right at and even before the Big Bang) will be explained.

Answer 7

String theory is a model of fundamental physics whose building blocks are one-dimensional extended objects (strings) rather than the zero-dimensional points (particles) that are the basis of the Standard Model of particle physics. For this reason, string theories are able to avoid problems associated with the presence of point-like particles in theories of physics, in particular the problem of defining a sensible quantum theory of gravity. Studies of string theories have revealed that they predict not just strings, but also higher-dimensional objects.

Answer 8

String theory is based on more subatomic particles than protons and electrons. It has got particles such as sparticles( heavy particles), gravitons. It is believed that small sub-atomic particles like string contain forces like weight, mass etc.

Answer 9

hm

this migth help u out

yes M theory is the way to go