I read something online today about Einstein's personal life. The article said that he was not a genius in personal relationships like he was with physics... and I suppose what we talked about in class regarding his use of younger more mathematically oriented minds in order to produce his discoveries also points to Einsteins fallibility and human nature. Regardless, this equation boggles my mind. I don't really know what to think about it, or how it relates to my life on a day to day basis. I try to think, 'Matter is Energy divided by the speed of light squared.' A person divides energy by the speed of light (squared) to get matter, and to get energy, a person multiplies Matter (mass) by the speed of light squared. So they are on the same continuum, but what does any of this mean? Are we light? Are we Energy? What is mass? Does putting these three things into an equation together define them any better? I guess so...
The Four Forces
Gravity - Gravity has unlimited range (like electromagnetism). Gravity depends on mass of the two bodies and the distance between them. Gravity's messenger particle has not been discovered, but string theory is closest to being able to incorporate it. Gravity acts in only one direction, which is unique. Also, now not really considered a force, but rather through space-time mechanics (as being composed of gravitational time dilation and the curvature of space).
Electromagnetism - Has unlimited range (like Gravity), but unlike gravity, it works in two directions, attraction and repulsion (positive and negative) which can cancel each other out. Electromagnetism keeps atoms together (positively charged nucleus vs. negatively charged electrons) and defines their atomic size (more particles to keep the charge neutral means bigger atoms). The messenger particle in the photon which travels at the speed of light.
Weak Nuclear Force - Very limited range, inside the atomic nucleus. Responsible for radioactive decay (turns neutrons into protons and protons into neutrons). Stronger than electromagnetism but because messenger particles (W and Z bosons) are so big and slow they do not transmit its intrinsic strength.
Strong Nuclear Force - Strongest force, responsible for keeping quarks inside protons and neutrons and keeping protons and neutrons inside the atomic nucleus. Limited range, like Weak Force, to subatomic particles. Messenger particle is the gluon (massless) which glues elementary particles together.
Function of Gravity
Einstein said that the presence of matter warps time-space. So what is the role or purpose of gravity? To show that things are inter-related and not separate? To demonstrate interconnectedness? I know that gravity is important for human life processes and enables us to be the musculoskeletal beings that we are, but I don't know what the purpose of gravity in the universe may be. Yikes.
Electromagnetism - Has unlimited range (like Gravity), but unlike gravity, it works in two directions, attraction and repulsion (positive and negative) which can cancel each other out. Electromagnetism keeps atoms together (positively charged nucleus vs. negatively charged electrons) and defines their atomic size (more particles to keep the charge neutral means bigger atoms). The messenger particle in the photon which travels at the speed of light.
Weak Nuclear Force - Very limited range, inside the atomic nucleus. Responsible for radioactive decay (turns neutrons into protons and protons into neutrons). Stronger than electromagnetism but because messenger particles (W and Z bosons) are so big and slow they do not transmit its intrinsic strength.
Strong Nuclear Force - Strongest force, responsible for keeping quarks inside protons and neutrons and keeping protons and neutrons inside the atomic nucleus. Limited range, like Weak Force, to subatomic particles. Messenger particle is the gluon (massless) which glues elementary particles together.
Function of Gravity
Einstein said that the presence of matter warps time-space. So what is the role or purpose of gravity? To show that things are inter-related and not separate? To demonstrate interconnectedness? I know that gravity is important for human life processes and enables us to be the musculoskeletal beings that we are, but I don't know what the purpose of gravity in the universe may be. Yikes.
That's an interesting thing to consider about Einstein's personal life... and could possibly explain why I can't wrap my head around this information. I must be really good with people instead! Ha. We can't do it all.
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