can empty space actually exist if nothing exist?

Answer 1

Space is in itself a physical form.

Answer 2

before the big bang there was no space; just nothing. with the explosion which created our universe both matter and space come into being, and both are expanding.

there is speculation about what may happen at the end of the universe. perhaps it will keep expanding. eventually it may reach a point where no interactions are possible anymore. there will be no more light or heat, no more gravity, no more energy will be generated.

if that happens, then for a long time the universe will be a cold dark place full of space and dust.

quantam theory tells us that on a very very small scale, particles can simply pop into or out of existence. and the 2nd law of thermodynamics tells us that there is more energy lost than can be recovered, so the rate at which particles pop out of existence is slightly higher than the rate at which they pop into existence.

so if the universe does expand until it loses all it's energy, about 1 000 000 000 000 000 years later, all of the particulate matter in the universe will have popped out of existence, but space will still exist. perhaps it will just be a big, dark, empty space for all eternity.

but nobody knows for sure if this will happen because maybe the universe will do something other than just expand until it runs out of energy.

Answer 3

It goes back to your other question, Is empty space a thing? And I think it all depends on how you choose to frame it. For instance, space means nothing if there's arent 2 particles in it to measure the space between them. So does space actually exist apart from particles? Maybe not.

You could apply the same logic to time. In the abscense of at least 2 events, does time exist?

But I would say that the "intersection of space and time" exists apart from the need for anything else. In otherwords, that exists even if there is no matter around to see its effects. Becuase everything we understand about physics depends on both measurement and time. No physical law means anything without both time and space.

Answer 4

There is no "empty" space. What we used to think was empty space is actually seething with particles popping into and out of existence, not to mention the dark energy that fills all of space and is probably causing the expansion of he universe.

Answer 5

I might be missing something in your question, but I'd say that space can definitely exist without any "thing" being in it. There are between 1 and 2 hydrogen atoms per cubic meter even in the near vacuum of interstellar space. What else could there be between one atom and another besides space?

Answer 6

That's an excellent question - and the answer is most probably not.
Space becomes an entity only when there are objects in it - it gives the objects relative distance, motions and positions.
Otherwise, it is indeed "nothing."
I can be said the the universe is expanding into nothing and literally creating the conventional meaning of space as it expands.