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Re: [Phys-l] "filling" the space in an atom






[Original Message]
From: Robert Cohen <Robert.Cohen@po-box.esu.edu>

Subject: Re: [Phys-l] "filling" the space in an atom

I think the question is trying to address the misconception that air is
filling the space between the electrons, protons and neutrons. How would
you word the question to identify whether students had this misconception?

-----Original Message-----
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu on behalf of Karim Diff

I think the question is fine. That the space is filled with fields is
really not an issue--so is everything we think of as 'empty space.' The
electrons don't fill the space either. We may not know where they are, but
(a) they are the closest thing we know to a point particle--so they don't
occupy any space and (b) wherever they are, they can only be at one place
at one instant in time--otherwise all of space would be simultaneously
filled with electrons and the mass of the universe would be infinite. Now
I recall that Feynman did play around with the idea that there was only one
electron that could be anyplace AND anytime and thus helped produce all
matter, but that is equivalent to the idea that each electron is a complete
universe made up of electrons that also are complete universes--etc. Fun,
but pointless. ;-)

Rick