why can't we pass through solid things?

Question

this is about chemistry!

Answer 1

sigh, okay... here's the real answer. and it has nothing to do with particles being so close together that they touch... atomic particles never actually touch anyway, and your body/the wall are both MOSTLY (ie, more than 99%) empty space anyway. so basically, you've asked a pretty good stumper of a question based on the answers you've gotten so far.

the REAL reason you can't walk through another object you percieve as solid actually has to do with the electromagnetic force (as does all sense of touch). the electrons in your body exert a small regional negative electronic charge around themselves. this charge repels from the electrons in your solid object. bring the atoms of your hand close enough to the solid objects atoms and there comes a point where the regional repelling strength of the electrons in both objects is strong enough that you cannot push them any closer (much less through each other). congratulations, you're now "touching" your solid object.

the hard ramification of this is that you've never actually touched anything in your life. no physical particle on your body has ever touched the physical particles of objects around you. when you typed your question, you never touched the keyboard... the electrons in your fingers repelled the electrons in the keys and THAT is what actually caused the keys to go down. freakish, i know, but it's actually the way the world works. that's why physics majors are crazy... because we have to think like that

Answer 2

It is all about matter, mass, and density. items with more mass have more matter and density. meaning tiny particles being smashed together in a space. The more particles you have in that space the more density it has (makes it hard like a pencil or concrete). less paricles in a space makes it less dense like water or air. since your body is composed the same way it makes it impossible to pass through solid things. only if you find a way to split those particles in either you or the solid object you may pass through.

Answer 3

A solid has their atoms packed closely together with little or no space in between them. Thus, it would be impossible to walk pass them as there are no space for you to walk pass.

Answer 4

you are a matter. a wall is a matter. no two matters can occupy the same space at the same time.

unless you're shadowcat, this is never gonna be a problem.


regards,

Casper, the friendly ghost

Answer 5

we can pass through those things which can change their path on we becoming an obstacle... solids cant change their path on own... so we cant pass through them

Answer 6

Their molecules are bound VERY close together and by a VERY strong force so that no one can force them apart

Answer 7

our bodu is a solid as well

Answer 8

because they are solid