Gourt > Kids and Teens > School Time > Science > Physics > Structure and Properties of Matter (1)
Matter is commonly defined as the substance of which physical objects are composed. It constitutes the observable Universe. According to the theory of relativity there is no distinction between matter and energy, because matter can be converted to energy (see annihilation), and vice versa (see matter creation). Philosophically, matter constitutes the formless substratum of all things, which exists only potentially and from which reality is produced. In the sense of content, matter is also used in contrast to form.
Matter in science
In physics, matter is everything that is constituted of elementary fermions. Matter occupies space and has mass. It is composed predominantly of atoms, which consist of protons, neutrons, and electrons. All gauge bosons (of which the photon is one), which mediate the four fundamental forces, are not considered matter, even though they certainly have energy and also some mass.
Matter thus consists of quarks and leptons. There are six types of quarks (strange, charm, top, bottom, up, and down) which combine to form hadrons, primarily baryons and mesons, through the strong interaction and are actually thought to always be confined. Among the baryons are the proton and the neutron, which further combine to form the nuclei of all elements of the periodic table. Usually these nuclei are surrounded by a cloud of electrons. A nucleus with as many electrons as protons, which is thus electrically neutral, is called an atom, otherwise it is an ion.
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Chemistry is the science concerned with the composition, behavior, structure, and properties of matter. x( know what? I need to love it.
ElsaPearl (Retro-Babe) Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:06:28 -0000
Chemistry is the science concerned with the composition, behavior, structure, and properties of matter. x( know what? I need to love it.
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