If an atom is mostly empty space why does matter seem so solid?

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Originally Posted by Lorosza

If an atom is mostly empty space why does matter seem so solid?

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Hi Lorosza,

That is why they built the Large Hadron Collider. If you can come up with answer before they do then you will have completed the standard model of particle physics. It's all about looking for the Higgs Boson.

Google Large Hadron Collider and then Google Higgs Boson. Good luck with it.

A fairly straight forward explanation is that the electromagnetic forces between atoms causes them to repel each other. So when you touch a table with your finger the atoms at the surface of the table and the atoms on the tip of your finger repel each other. The result is that your finger can not pass through the table, and you peceive the table as being solid.

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Originally Posted by ebaines

A fairly straight forward explanation is that the electromagnetic forces between atoms causes them to repel each other. So when you touch a table with your finger the atoms at the surface of the table and the atoms on the tip of your finger repel each other. The result is that your finger can not pass through the table, and you peceive the table as being solid.

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Good explanation

Tut