Simone Lawson
The universe is a vast and mostly empty place. If all the atoms in the universe were crammed together, they would make a ball that would fit inside our solar system. This emptiness gives the universe a secret power, as it is expanding rapidly, with dark energy filling all of space and causing this acceleration. This emptiness is not a vacuum, however, as it is filled with dark matter and dark energy, and their related fields. Even the most remote part of intergalactic deep space is not empty. Atoms, which make up all matter in the universe, are mostly empty space themselves, and the universe is filled with these somethings, not nothings.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Amount of empty space in the universe | Constant |
| Empty space is truly empty | No |
| Empty space contains | Electrons, photons (light particles), and other elementary particles and fields |
| Atoms are made of | Nucleus, electrons, and protons |
| Atoms are | Mostly empty space |
| The universe is filled with | Dark matter and dark energy |
| Percentage of the universe that is dark energy | 68% |
| Percentage of the universe that is dark matter | 27% |
| Percentage of the universe that is everything observed | Less than 5% |
| Emptiness between stars and galaxies | 80% of the volume of the known universe |
| The universe is | Growing |
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What You'll Learn
Atoms are mostly empty space
The universe is mostly empty space, and atoms and their elementary particle building blocks make up all matter in the universe. Atoms are composed of a small nucleus and electrons that spin around the nucleus in specific energy levels or shells. The nucleus, in turn, is made up of two main subatomic particles: protons and neutrons. Protons carry a positive charge, neutrons are neutral, and electrons carry a negative charge.
Protons and neutrons are found in the nucleus, which is at the center of the atom, while electrons orbit around the nucleus. In terms of size, both protons and neutrons are approximately 0.833 femtometers (10^-15 meters) in diameter. In comparison, the size of an electron is considered to be point-like or essentially zero in terms of classical dimensions. This means that electrons have no significant dimensions compared to protons or neutrons. Therefore, the atom is mostly empty space, with a tiny fraction occupied by its nucleus and even smaller electrons.
Quantum theory shows that the model of electrons orbiting the nucleus is misleading, with atoms being much fuzzier entities. However, this model can help us understand why objects appear and feel solid despite being made up of atoms that are mostly empty space. Electrons spin very fast around the atom's nucleus, which can be likened to rapidly spinning helicopter blades. When these blades spin quickly, it seems like there is a solid ring around the center. Similarly, the fast-spinning electrons create the illusion of a solid atom.
Additionally, strong atomic-scale forces between individual particles cause them to repel each other. When two objects come into contact, the electrons in the atoms of one object repel the electrons in the atoms of the other. This repulsion, caused by the electromagnetic force, prevents atoms from passing through each other, giving objects a solid appearance and feel.
It is important to note that while the concept of "empty space" is useful for understanding the structure of atoms and the universe, even the most remote parts of intergalactic deep space are not truly empty. Instead, they are filled with quantum particles and fields that we are still working to understand.
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Dark energy and dark matter
The universe is mostly made up of "empty space", but this space is not entirely empty. It is filled with elementary particles and fields, such as electrons and photons, which are too small to interact with each other. This space is also filled with dark matter and dark energy, which are invisible and dominate the structure and evolution of the universe.
Dark matter is an invisible and hypothetical form of matter that does not interact with light or other electromagnetic radiation. It is implied by gravitational effects that cannot be explained by general relativity unless there is more matter present than can be observed. Dark matter constitutes about 27% of the universe in terms of its overall contribution to the total mass and energy content of the cosmos. It is responsible for the way galaxies are organized on a grand scale and forms a halo surrounding the ordinary matter of a galaxy. Dark matter is thought to be composed primarily of some type of not-yet-characterized subatomic particle, such as weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) or axions, or even primordial black holes.
Dark energy, on the other hand, is the mysterious force driving the accelerated expansion of the universe. It constitutes about 68% of the total energy content of the universe. Dark energy and dark matter together make up 95% of the total mass-energy content of the universe. While the nature of these substances is still unknown, they are some of the major challenges facing modern astronomers and particle physicists.
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The universe is infinite
The universe is a pretty empty place. If you were to cram all the atoms in the universe together, so that every nucleus was touching, the atoms would make a ball that would fit inside our solar system. In fact, it is estimated that only about 0.0000000000000000000042 percent of the universe contains any matter.
The universe is expanding, and with this expansion, more emptiness is being created within it. This expansion is accelerating due to dark energy, which makes up about 68% of the universe. Dark matter, which makes up about 27% of the universe, also fills all of space. The remaining 5% or less of the universe is made up of everything on Earth and everything ever observed.
While the universe appears to be sparse, it is filled with "somethings" and not literal "nothings". Even the most remote parts of intergalactic deep space are not empty. This is because empty space is not truly empty. Electrons and photons (light particles) do not interact with the smaller elementary particles and fields that are there. The fields of all the particles in the universe, including the Higgs Field, permeate what we think of as empty space.
The universe could be infinite, both outward and inward. As we continue to improve our technology, we are still limited by distance and the speed of light in our attempts to reach out into space. However, we can also explore inner space with existing technology, and it is just as massive and limitless as outer space.
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Quantum fields
While the universe may appear sparse, it is filled with "somethings" rather than literal "nothings". Even what we consider "empty space" is not truly empty. This is because all forms of energy have fields, from quarks to electrons to photons and beyond. These fields are the main thing happening in our universe.
Quantum field theory (QFT) is a theoretical framework that combines field theory and the principle of relativity with ideas from quantum mechanics. It is used in particle physics to construct physical models of subatomic particles and in condensed matter physics to construct models of quasiparticles. QFT is also used in other areas of theoretical physics, such as statistical mechanics.
In the context of QFT, a field refers to a system with an infinite number of degrees of freedom. For example, the electron field is made up of particles called electrons, which are the ripples of this field. Similarly, there are quark fields, neutrino fields, fields for gluons and W bosons, and more. Whenever a new particle is discovered, it is associated with a field, and the particles are just ripples of that field.
QFT emerged in the 1920s with the description of interactions between light and electrons, leading to the first QFT—quantum electrodynamics. However, various obstacles arose, including the appearance of infinities in perturbative calculations and difficulties in describing certain interactions and phenomena. These issues were gradually addressed through advancements such as the renormalization procedure and the development of gauge theory, resulting in a renaissance of QFT in the 1970s.
Despite its success in predicting experimental results, QFT is believed to be incomplete, as it faces challenges in reconciling with special relativity and fully explaining certain aspects of the quantum world.
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The universe is expanding
The universe is mostly made up of empty space, but this space is not "truly empty". Electrons and photons (light particles) don't interact with the smaller elementary particles and fields that are present. The universe is filled with "somethings" and it is hard to find literal "nothings". Even the most remote part of intergalactic deep space is not empty.
According to inflation theory, the universe suddenly expanded during the inflationary epoch, about 10^-32 of a second after the Big Bang, and its volume increased by a factor of at least 10^78. This expansion is often framed as a consequence of general relativity, but it is also predicted by Newtonian gravity. Cosmic expansion subsequently decelerated to much slower rates, until around 9.8 billion years after the Big Bang when it began to gradually expand more quickly, and it is still doing so.
The expansion of the universe was first observed by Knut Lundmark in 1924. In 1933, Arthur Eddington used the analogy of an expanding balloon with dots marked on its surface to help visualise the expanding universe. This analogy was also used by Fred Hoyle in 1960. The balloon analogy illustrates how galaxies move apart like points on the expanding balloon, but the galaxies themselves do not expand because they are gravitationally bound.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the universe is mostly empty space. Atoms, which make up all matter in the universe, are largely empty space themselves.
While it is called "empty space", it is not completely devoid of anything. It contains electrons, photons, and other elementary particles and fields.
It is estimated that only about 0.0000000000000000000042 percent of the universe contains any matter. The rest is empty space.
The universe is expanding, creating more emptiness within. This expansion is accelerating due to dark energy, which makes up about 68% of the universe.
Yes, dark matter and dark energy make up a significant portion of the universe, but we do not yet fully understand what they are. They could be unknown quantum fields or byproducts of vacuum fluctuations.
