Atoms are 99% empty space?

Question

atoms are made up of 99% empty space, and we’re made up of atoms, so we must be made up of 99% empty space... how is this possible??

Answer 1

There are four forces in nature:
The electromagnetic force
The strong nuclear force
The weak nuclear force
and [the wimp of the lot] gravity.
We commonly only ever see, feel or interact with the effects of the gravitational force. It keeps us sitting where we are and we have to exert energy to move. The reason we can move along and not slither into the ground is the fact that the nuclear forces--or forces responsible for keeping atomic particles together and atoms whole--are millions, okay maybe billions, times stronger than gravity. The source of the earth's gravity well is the center of the planet. We don't slither into the planet to end up at teh center because the forces holding the atoms of our bodies together repel those forces holding atoms of the earth [or your chair or anything else] together. To over come these forces and split atoms or fuse them together takes large amounts of energy. So, far the only things that can do so created by man are nuclear reactors - splitting- and nuclear bombs - fusing, with help from an intitial splitting.
To put the empty space of an atom into perspective...
Imagine an atom has been enlarged to the size of a typical football stadium. A pea at the center of the fifty yard line would represent all the particles in the nucleus-protons and neturons. The electrons would be the size of dust motes flitting around in the farthest back rows of seats. So, yes even though there is no matter in that intervening space, this is where the nuclear forces reside. And, since Einstein, we know that matter and energy are interchangeable. So, because of the energy filling in this space, all items "feel" solid to us as if there was matter there instead of energy.

Answer 2

The exact percentage of empty space depends on which atom you are talking about. A simple Hydrogen atom will have a lot more empty space than the denser and more complex atoms of, say, Uranium. But 99 % is a good “average guesstimate” of empty space.
“So we must be made of 99% empty space?” In a nutshell, yes. The “Form” of an atom (and therefore molecules, and therefore us) are made of by the rapid movement and electro-magnetic fields caused by the particles of the atom, giving the “illusion” that the atom/molecule is bigger than it really is. So yup – what you see is only 1% of what there is! The rest is totally empty!

Answer 3

any atom structure and volume will be the space covered with electrons plus the nuclei of the atom ,, so if we try to simulate that and take a small bing bong ball as electron then the distance from nuclei will be as far as 1000 ft so we can imagine the shape of atom, but electrons are not stable as they rotate around in there orbits so such space cant be shrink in our ordinary gravity but it suppose to be shrink under what called reverse gravity or black holes

Answer 4

if you consider that the 0.000000001% of the non space [bulk] is neutron and proton, [which are very similiar in size and mass, but different in electric charge], the density of the neutron is:
mass 1.674 927 29(28) × 10−27 kg
raduis 0.8 × 10−15 m
so density will be: M/[4/3 pi r^3]
something like 10^17 Kg/M3
or 100,000,000,000,000 times the density of water

Answer 5

The electric field is like a gravity field or the inertia-gravity mechanics behind orbiting planets. Think of the sun as like a nucleus and the planets as electrons. Anything which isn't just passing through will either collide with something or begin to orbit something.

Answer 6

A hologram has no substance, anything that you touch has matter, your sense of touch is not failing you, laws of physics prevent your finger from passing through what is mostly empty space.

Answer 7

Electrons travel at such fantastic speeds around the nucleus that the appear to form a solid, negatively charged shell, which repels other shells.

Answer 8

it has to do with electric and gravitational fields. you never actually touch anything there is always space between two objects and im thinking that 99.5 is a better nuber

Answer 9

yes, because the spacing of the minute particles are so vast.

Answer 10

no they are 90 percent space i lear ned that in science