What is anti matter?

[neutron_star6]

I know what matter is and how its works and everything but Ive read a book talking about anti matter but it never explained what it is.

 

[Maddad]

The easy answer is that the individual particles in anti-matter have the opposite charge as the particles in regular matter. When a negatively charged proton anti-matter particle meets with a positively charged matter proton particle, the two opposite charges cancel. The particles themselves therefore disappear because neither one has a charge, and part of being a particle means having a charge. In accordance with Einstein's formula E=mc², the matter that disappears becomes energy.<br /><br />If you met your anti-matter double, then all your particles, and all of his, would cancel their charges and revert to being just energy. A lot of it.

 

[Saiph]

or rather, since they have no charge and no mass, they are thier own anti-particle. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0"><br /></font></p><p align="center"><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">--------</font></em></font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">--------</font></em></font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">----</font></em></font><font color="#666699">SaiphMOD@gmail.com </font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">-------------------</font></em></font></p><p><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">"This is my Timey Wimey Detector.  Goes "bing" when there's stuff.  It also fries eggs at 30 paces, wether you want it to or not actually.  I've learned to stay away from hens: It's not pretty when they blow" -- </font></em></font><font size="1" color="#999999">The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[neutron_star6]

Ok now I understand. So since the protons have mass and a charge but if the two are opposite then the two particles would cancel out each other and therefore just become a particle with no charge and just energy. Right?

 

[Saiph]

yep. Though the mass isn't opposite (it's not a negative mass in other words).<br /><br />But yeah, upon contact they'll anihilate and leave only energy. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0"><br /></font></p><p align="center"><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">--------</font></em></font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">--------</font></em></font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">----</font></em></font><font color="#666699">SaiphMOD@gmail.com </font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">-------------------</font></em></font></p><p><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">"This is my Timey Wimey Detector.  Goes "bing" when there's stuff.  It also fries eggs at 30 paces, wether you want it to or not actually.  I've learned to stay away from hens: It's not pretty when they blow" -- </font></em></font><font size="1" color="#999999">The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[neutron_star6]

Yea there cant be a negative mass in the first place. So yea I understand now.

 

[neutron_star6]

So anti-matter is basically what it states just in the name. Negatively charged matter.

 

[siarad]

I read recently that they don't behave equally which maybe why 'normal' matter is predominant

 

[killium]

I understand that since neutron doesn't have a charge, an anti-neutron is not charged either. Then, which property is reversed ?<br /><br />Would it be possible to have an entire galaxy made of anti-matter, if it is isolated from matter ? How can we know that a far away galaxy is actually made of matter ?<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Maddad]

killium<br />"<font color="yellow">I understand that since neutron doesn't have a charge, an anti-neutron is not charged either. Then, which property is reversed ?</font><br /><br />A neutron is a positively charged proton combined with a negatively charged electron. The individual components have charges, but together they are neutral. An anti-matter neutron would be a negatively charged proton combined with a positively charged electron (which is called a positron.)

 

[neutron_star6]

Which in that case would be creating anti-matter it self. Ok now it makes a little sense.

 

[Maddad]

The electron is very light as compared to the proton, about one part in 1,836 or so. It doesn't have enough mass to cancel the proton, so it doesn't serve as anti-matter because there isn't enough matter in it.

 

[neutron_star6]

So then what exactly creates the "anti-matter" in the universe?

 

[iron_sun_254]

Actually the answer for neutrons is that they are made up of three charged quarks, one up quark with a +2/3 charge and two down quarks each with a -1/3 charge a piece adding up to a total 0 charge. The anti-neutron simply has anti-up and anti-down quarks.

 

[Maddad]

Iron Sun you fink! Here he was just figuring he understood it all and you give him that!<br /><br /><br />What creates anti-matter? Our puzzle is why isn't there exactly the same amount of matter and anti-matter, which of course is asking why there is matter. We don't know.

 

[neutron_star6]

Yea just when I thought I might have had it or even just the jist of it Im confused since what iron sun posted. Not too much though but still nonetheless Im a little. But I still get the basic idea I think.

 

[Maddad]

The idea you have is good enough, plenty good enough for now. Iron Sun is talking about the particles that make up the proton or whatever. They're even smaller and more fundamental. They'll drive you bonkers keeping track of them; they do me!

 

[neutron_star6]

Considering what I already know about things similar to Im pretty sure if I go deeper I will go crazy just trying to figure them out. But it will come to me it will just take a little patience and trying not to do anything crazy like that. But with time it will just be a natural thing as do all things in life. Ill see about the "smaller and more fundamental" side of it, then Ill see whether I still want to go deeper within it.

 

[neutron_star6]

Yea, Ive decided that Im going to try to understand what iron sun was talking about.

 

[killium]

"A neutron is a positively charged proton combined with a negatively charged electron. The individual components have charges, but together they are neutral. An anti-matter neutron would be a negatively charged proton combined with a positively charged electron (which is called a positron.) "<br /><br />I see. But following that, we could tell if it is anti-neutron or normal neutron only by looking at what sub-particules it is composed of.<br /><br />If i have a neutron in front of me (metaphorically), how could i tell which kind it is ?<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[Maddad]

killium<br />That I don't know. It's an interesting question for sure. Maybe one of the other egg-heads around here can clue us in.<br /><br />neutron star<br />That's an excellent ambition. It's what we're here for - learning about science and space.

 

[neutron_star6]

All I need to do is figure out what types of books there are so I can read up on it. Would you recomend anything at all?

 

[neutron_star6]

Wow, I didnt know that the anti-neutrons would just form its counterpart mirror image. The civilazation would probably think like that as well.

 

[Maddad]

neutron star<br />It's probably time to start with google. You can find stuff really fast there, whereas with a book you can't search out a key phrase hidden on page 173.

 

[neutron_star6]

I will do that thanks. Is it also possible that you can tell me just a little bit of what I wish to know? It would be very helpful.