Okay, I've been tought that an atom had protons, electrons, and neutrons, and quarks and stuff inside. But why? Why do atoms need to have them? More importantly, why are electrons negatively charged, and why are protons positive? Just because they are? There has to be a more correct answer than that.
2006-12-21 05:18:34 · 8 answers · asked by bohdan 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
that's what physicists are trying to answer. They're trying to come up with a theoretical model that says, "there should be particles, they should be exactly like this, etc.". And of course the model should coincide with observation.
unfortunately after several decades of trying, there still isn't such a model. The models currently used by theoretical physicists who use large particle accelerators, typically need special paramaters in them, in order to yield a result which is close to the world we observe - but they also tend to generate weird stuff, which we don't observe.
Obviously this is insufficient, it is a bit as if I had a model that said, "there will be living beings on this planet", but would need a parameter for the number of eyes, another for the number of arms and legs, another for the size of the animals, you name it.
Other theories, such as superstrings, have really tried to start at the purest, most theoretical level - but after a couple decades of work these theories still have not yielded one single prediction that could be experimentally verified. Which is starting to make them look like philosophy, not physicis.
Anyway - no one has an answer for you. But you're right to ask for it.
2006-12-21 06:04:59 · answer #1 · answered by AntoineBachmann 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An atom doesn't need to have anything. It is an emergent pattern of a simple system. Everything in the universe is based on math, much like a computer. A computer only has two states to work with, open and closed; what we commonly visualize as 0 and 1. The way these two states are arranged in the computer determine what it does. The ordering of the 0s and 1s is a simple system; the emergent behavior is generally not. What we get from open and closed is a web page or a game, maybe a spreadsheet. This is how things work. Another way to look at it is through fractals. Each fractal has it's own simple underlying mathematical equation, but from them we get very complex and, as some would say, beautiful pictures. The Universe and all that make it up work the way they do because it's the only way it can. It's just emergent behavior my friend. Yours truly,
Mervin DePervin
2006-12-21 06:01:58 · answer #2 · answered by Mervin DePervin 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You might as well be asking "Why do opposite charges attract and negative charges repel with electricity and magnetism, but everything always attracts in gravity?"
There is a branch of physics that is looking for a law to explain all this, and come up for a reason for why it is like this in our universe, and determining if it's just chance (that is, other universes could have different laws) or if there's really no other way for things to be. The undiscovered law is called the "Theory of Everything" or the "Grand Unified Theory".
There used to be a theory called "supersymmetry" that was a candidate for being the ToE/GUT but it's not followed much anymore. The next best candidate is called "string theory".
2006-12-21 05:50:02 · answer #3 · answered by jrr7_05_02 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This isn't really a physics question. Physics seeks to DESCRIBE the universe, not so much to explain it. I've asked this question several times in my physics classes and each time I get about the same answer. I am usually told something along the lines of "because that's the way the universe is." I've never been happy with that answer, but have learned to accept it.
2006-12-21 05:37:48 · answer #4 · answered by thegreatdilberto 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think of its comparable to components the climate have a quantity above and below the call of the element and from that they'd tell i cant bear in strategies the way of figuring it out yet you may seek the internet
2016-12-15 05:39:22 · answer #5 · answered by lacross 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Life exists because there was a potential for life to exist - because of the way the universe 'is'. The universe does not exist to support life.
2006-12-21 05:41:23 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
have you heard about polarity. Certain objects negatively pull and certain objects push. this push pull relationship also has to do with gravity. It is important to have this balance of atoms in our universe for it to be homeostatic.
2006-12-21 05:52:08 · answer #7 · answered by pegasis 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Because if they did not we would not be here. It all fits together to allow the universe and life to exist.
2006-12-21 05:25:43 · answer #8 · answered by themountainviewguy 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋