Can We Really Touch Anything?

TL;DR

Photons are exchanged between particles to interact with each other, even without physical touch. Virtual particles are undetectable and do not adhere to the same laws as real particles.

Transcript

[Applause] can we can we really touch something so I can touch the camera the question of can we really touch something is a great one well let's say we have two electrons I imagine what we mean by touching is that they come in and they actually physically touch now one of the problems is an electron actually has zero size as far as we can tell no ... Read More

Key Insights

• 💱 Physical touch is not necessary for particles to interact; they exchange force-carrying particles like photons.
• 👮 Photons are virtual particles that cannot be directly detected and do not adhere to the same laws as real particles.
• 🫀 Atoms strive for a full outer electron shell to minimize the system's energy state.

Questions & Answers

Q: How do electrons interact without physically touching?

Electrons interact by exchanging photons, which changes their momentum and direction. Physical touch is not necessary for interaction.

Q: Why can't virtual photons be seen?

Virtual particles, such as photons, are undetectable because they do not adhere to the same laws as real particles. If they were detectable, they would have to be real particles.

Q: Why do atoms want their outer electron shell to be full?

Atoms want their outer electron shell to be full because it minimizes the energy state of the system. This configuration results in a lower total energy.

Q: Why are the available frequencies of light continuous?

In atoms, electrons jumping between energy levels produce particular colors. However, when atoms bind into molecules or form solids, there are no longer distinct energy levels, resulting in a continuous range of colors.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Electrons do not physically touch when they interact; instead, they exchange photons, which changes their momentum and direction.

• Photons, as force carriers, do not propagate magnetic fields and cannot be seen because they are virtual particles.

• Atoms want their outermost electron shells to be full because it minimizes the energy state of the system.

• The available frequencies of light are continuous due to electrons in atoms binding into molecules or forming solids, creating a range of colors.