If atoms are 99,9% emptiness, how can they keep things together ? Like, if my skin is 99,9% emptiness, why is it able to keep blood and organs in it ?
In: Chemistry
Touching, as you probably consider it, does not exist. All interactions take place at a distance – like magnets. While electrons are, as particles, incredibly tiny (even compared to other things on an atomic scale), they still repel other electrons and *very forcefully so* if those other electrons get too close.
So, while an electron does not physically occupy the space in an atom, it still has claim to that space and will prevent other electrons from occupying said space.
Try sticking your hand into a spinning aircraft propeller, and you’ll get the general idea.
“…why is it able to keep blood and organs in it?”
This is actually a two part question.
The first part of your question: “why?”
This is a question humans have been asking since the dawn of time, and it is unlikely that we can really ever answer that question. I don’t feel qualified, so i won’t try.
The second part of your question: “is it able to keep blood and organs in it?’l”
Yes.
The [electromagnetic force](https://landgreen.github.io/physics/notes/electromagnetism/electrostatics/index.html) allows chemical bonds to form. These bonds give solid matter its rigid structure.
At the atomic scale, particles can’t pass through each other primarily because of a quantum mechanical effect called the [Pauli exclusion principle ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauli_exclusion_principle). The Pauli exclusion principle is mostly responsible for keeping particles, like electrons, separate.
Aha! Finally. See, there were people wondering the same thing thousands (that’s like centuries only longer) of years ago.
It is very special of you to be asking these questions, and you should be proud of yourself.
But the truth is no one really knows. People will try to convince you otherwise, but basically they are just trying to pose as clever, and grown-up. They just fronting.
Who knows, maybe you’re the chosen one who will figure it out. Only the finest minds even question.
I’m not kidding: that is an unsolved mystery, and all physicists can do is tell you how they understand it so far.
Anyone who says otherwise doesn’t understand the question enough.
Edit: for anyone who downvotes, please tell me how exactly am I wrong, so I can better educate myself. I’m willing to debate. Please…
From my understanding of this question you are not referring to chemistry but physics.
This has to do with Newton.
Lay your hand on a table. Even though you are exercising force on the table you will see that your skin is being pushed against.
You exercise force on the table and the table exercises force on you. This is the resistance you and I feel when we pick or grab something.
Things stay “put” because the force that is being received by said object is the same as the force it pushes back with.
Think of your body as that net sack some fruits and vegetables come in and the fluids as grapes in that sack. The sack is mostly nothing but the netting hold the grapes because they are bigger than the holes.
Atoms aren’t empty. Electrons, the thing everyone thinks is a speck bouncing around, is a wave function, a field. The quantum level operates in fields and the fields are what are interacting. Electrons only provide us insight into chemical reactions, but for physical interaction its the same reason you cant stick opposite magnets together and it feels like something is there.
Matter consists of tiny particles that push and pull at each other, just like magnets do. Essentially the universe as humans observe it is all different shades of electromagnetic interactions, which both hold electrons in their hazy orbits around the atomic nucleus while also making different atoms repel each other, thus making matter, well, material.
And this is all accomplished by photons doing their thing, exchanging energy between other particles.
Imagine atoms are balloons. Balloons are mostly empty space (air, but bear with me), but even so, balloons cannot pass through balloons.
In an atom, the electrons buzzing around super fast on the outside form the ‘skin’ of the balloon. Electrons repel the electrons from other atoms, just like the skin of balloons make them bounce off each other.
So your skin is a bunch of balloons glued together. Your blood is also a bunch of balloons, so it can’t just slip through. Organs are lots and lots of balloons glued together, so they can’t fall through either.
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