Why do oppositely charged particles attract one another?

Question

There has to be some fundamental explanation as to why it is, and not some other configuration. Can anyone fill me in?

Well, BAN ME, perhaps it has to do with the fact that I am, in fact, teh gay.

ontheroad - that's correct. Why, for instance, don't protons attract protons, or the same with electrons? My whole life I've just taken it for granted that it's true, without really thinking about why.

Absolutely. :)

Frank - well, that may be the best answer to you, but I wouldn't hold my breath for the 10 points.

Answer 1

Here is a partial answer:

There are four currently-known "fundamental" forces in nature (electromagnetism, gravity, strong, weak ). All phenomena observed in nature, thus far, can be explained in terms of these fundamental four forces.

The modern view of these fundamental forces is that they arise due to the exchange of a mediating particle. For electromagnetism this is the photon. For gravity this is the graviton.

The most fundamental description of these forces is given in relativistic quantum field theory (RQFT) [which is a general framework which successfuly brings together the two "pillars" of modern physics: relativity and the quantum theory]

According to RQFT there is a correlation between the spin of the exchange particle and the character of the force (by which I mean whether it is attractive or repulsive). When a spin-0 particle is exchanged , an attractive force results. When a spin-1 particle is exchanged, a repulsive force results. When a spin-2 particle is exchanged, an attractive force results etc.

The photon is spin-1 and thus two like charges must repel. (It then follows that for opposite charges, the force must be opposite to this, ie an attraction). The graviton is spin-2 and thus two masses must attract.

p.s. The force holding protons and neutrons together inside a nucleus can be thought of as a certain limiting case of the strong force. In this limiting case, the exchange particles (so-called pi mesons) have spin-0 and thus this is an attractive force (as is observed).

[The above remarks have been carefully checked. I will look a bit further into this interesting question to see if I can pinpoint, in a somewhat more satisfying way (1) the origin of this correlation between spin of the exchange particle and attraction/repulsion and (2) what assumptions are involved.]

Answer 2

The only way I know to explain the origin of electric charge is to say that it is one of several degrees of freedom a particle can have.(other degress of freedom include, spin, and mass)In quantum field theory this specific degree of of freedom is expressed in terms of an electromagnetic field.

According to the standard model of particle physics, forces are communicated between particles by messenger particles. The photon is the messenger particle of the electromagnetic force. Under this framework, the reason why charged particles feel each others presence is because they exchange photons back and forth.

Since ontheroad found my explanation unsatisfying perhaps you will to.

Mabye this will be a little better: This is basically quantum field theory for the layman.

You are probly familiar with the principle that nature always wants to be in the lowest energy state possible.

The electromagnetic field is a field that permates all of space. When there are no charges present the field is flat and in its lowest energy state. When a charged particle is present it creates a disturbance in the field. Oppositley charge particles produce equal but opposite disterbances. (think of these equal/opposite disturbances as a up spike and a down spike in the field) Nature wants to get rid of these disturbances to return to its intial flat (lowest energy) state. So the particles want to move closer together to get their disturbances to cancel each other out and from a distance they will appear to be just one nuetral particle (atoms). Likewise, particles with the same charge create equal disterbances in the same direction. Nature can't make the field flat by getting these particles to cancel so it moves them as far apart as possible so that most of the field looks flat from a distance.

I know this is an abstract framework thats hard to follow but it is the best understanding your going to get without taking a course in Quantum field theory.

Answer 3

1

Answer 4

Perhaps because particles whom repel each other were given like charges nad those which attract each other were given unlike charges.

That is, oppositely charged particles attract one another because particles which attract one another were given oppositely charge/poles or whatever... North attracts south, positive attracts negative, etc...

Answer 5

Here is a real basic answer.Atoms are composed of protons electrons and neutrons. Each element has a particular number of electrons. Some atoms called ions have either one electron more or one less than normal these are called ions. In a way its this struggle to be balanced that atoms have to fill the outter shells of their electrons. This is also what causes different elements to combine by either sharing or the gain or loss of an electron. Oh yes and by the way some atoms have their outter shells already full so the do not combine very easily with other elements. We call these inert gases or usually today we call them noble gases because they do not want to associate with the other elements. Hope this helps. Let me know if their is anything else I can help you with.

Answer 6

A negative charge occurs when an atom has an extra electron, which is not a stable state. A positive charge occurs when an atom is short an electron, which is not a stable state. By joining, the result of attraction, each can give the other what it requires to achieve a more stable state.

Answer 7

I shall give you a short version of one scenario which I worked out for my own Fractal Foam Model of Universes. There are countless possibilities, and I have evaluated only a few; this one probably is not the one responsible for electrostatic forces, but it illustrates how these scenarios, in general, are evaluated. My reasoning has evolved from the Fatio/LeSage model for the cause of gravity.

Let us postulate the existence of several classes of particles:
Q1 & Q2 fuse P-waves, and MI splits P-waves. [I have borrowed the term MI (matter ingredient) from Tom VanFlandern (MetaResearch.org) to represent a minimal particle that is affected by gravity.]

Then let us postulate the existence of several classes of p-waves. [These are pressure waves propagating thru the ether at the speed of gravity, which is probably at least 20 billion times faster than light.]
Alpha, Beta, Gamma: such that Beta = 2Alpha, Gamma = 3Alpha

Event type 1: Q1, under the right conditions, will fuse an Alpha-Alpha pair to form a Beta.
Event type 2: Q2, under the right conditions, will fuse an Alpha-Beta pair to form a Gamma.
Event type 3: MI, under the right conditions, will split a Gamma to form an Alpha-Beta pair.
Event type 4: MI, under the right conditions, may split a Beta to form an Alpha-Alpha pair.

Now, suppose an Alpha-Alpha pair encounters a Q1. The Q1 acts as a catalyst, adding just enough momentum to fuse the Alpha-Alpha pair into a Beta. This imparts a momentum to the Q1 in the direction opposite to the relative velocity; Q1 feels an attraction toward any source of Alphas. Fewer Alphas radiate from the direction of this Q1, compared to the general background abundance of Alphas; therefore, another nearby Q1 will feel a greater attraction in every direction except toward this Q1; consequently, a pair of Q1's will repel one another.

When an Alpha-Beta pair encounters a Q2, they are fused into a Gamma, imparting negative momentum to the Q2. So, for the same reason described above, a pair of Q2's will also repel each other.

Since a Q1 appears brighter in Beta's than its surroundings, a Q1 will attract a Q2; but, since a Q2 appears dimmer in Alpha's than its surroundings, a Q2 will repel a Q1. (This is where this particular scenario appears to fail as a cause of the electrostatic forces. Perhaps it is better at explaining some other force.)

When a Gamma encounters an MI, the Gamma splits into an Alpha-Beta pair; when a Beta encounters an MI, the Beta splits into an Alpha-Alpha pair. Splitting a p-wave imparts positive momentum to the MI, so a pair of MI’s will attract each other. (This much is contained in the old Fatio/LeSage model, except they were talking about scattering and absorption of particles; I am talking about splitting of p-waves.)

Since the MI appears brighter in Alphas than its surroundings, an MI will attract a Q1. If the MI appears brighter in Betas than its surroundings, an MI will attract a Q2. Since Q1 appears bright in Betas, it will repel an MI. Since Q2 appears bright in Gammas, it will repel an MI.

Answer 8

a

Answer 9

We just don't know.
We also don't know why gravitation is only attractive.
We don't know why there is no magnetic monopole.
We don't know why the various forces have the strengths that they have.
The best answer is, "That's how God created the universe and its physical laws."

Answer 10

www.chargedparticles.com
www.silver-colloids.com/Papers/IonsAto
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charged_part