[theblackalchemist]

This is the talk of my class
what is matter ( apart from the old def - it is something occupying space and has a mass )
what is anti-matter ? ( does it really exist ? can it be created in a lab ?? )

what happens when they collide ???

forgive me for asking weird questions ..........

thanks
TBA

[ronthepon]

Antimatter is not the opposite of matter. Antimatter can be considered the collection of the antiparticles of the commonly found 'matter' constituting particles.

When a particle comes itno contact with it's antiparticle, they both get converted to energy in the form of (light)electromagnetic waves.

[Mercedes Benzene]

Adding to what ronthepon has already said:

Antimatter has been created in a lab (in the early 90s I think). This antimatter only lasted for very brief periods of time before it was annihilated.
It is however, produced *theoretically* in massively large amounts other places in the universe.

[HydrogenBond]

Matter and antimatter both contain matter but differ only by charge. For example the positron-electron pair both contain matter but differ only in charge. Technically since the proton is positive, it is the matter aspect of the proton-antiproton pair. On the other hand, since the electron is negative, it is the anti-matter aspect of the positron-electron pair. This is not conventional but it is technically correct, implying matter-antimatter exist all over the universe including here on earth.

If matter-anti-matter can form from energy than if the proton and electron formed at the same time, it would create a permanent odd couple matter-anti-matter pair. No waste.

[InfiniteNow]

Originally Posted by theblackalchemist

This is the talk of my class
what is matter

I'm actually attending a lecture Thursday on this very topic presented by Roy Schwitters. If he knows, and I follow the discussion, I'll be sure to pass that along.

[HydrogenBond]

Matter and antimatter both contain matter such that the nomenclature is somewhat misleading. What differs is charge, with negative the opposite of positive. Technically this implies that charge is what separates matter from antimatter. Matter and antimatter is not technically what stays and what disappears.

If we look at the electron and proton, the negative charge in nature prefers to permanently tag onto the smaller electron mass so it can occupy a lot of space. The positive charge prefers to permanently attach itself to a much heavier proton mass so it can occupy less space. The complements do form but don't last when the masses are reversed. What may have happened to the complements may have been something simple like forming neutrons. These can form from positron-anti-proton as easily as electron-proton. The neutron may have broke apart into both but preferentially enriching the universe in the more permanent electron and proton matter-antimatter pair. Again, very little waste.

This is rather simpleton due to the larger particles having smaller internal parts. Irregardless, it still amounts to the same thing.