- #1
dune
- 10
- 0
Here's one...
A book has a mass of say 0.2 kg, it's red, and burns at a certain temperature. Its properties can be explained by its constituent molucular make-up.
Water molecules have a pH of 7. Its enthalpy of fusion is 6 kJ/mole, etc, etc. These properties can be explained by its two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
An atom of gold is has such and such properties because it has 79 electrons in 6 orbitals around its nucleus.
...and the nucleus is made of protons and neutrons (up and down quarks) and, hence, have the properties they have.
so on and so on.
My question is this: how does one explain properties at the fundamental level?
Fundamental particles and energy must have properties, attributes that determine how they interact. If they didn't, nothing in the universe would change. So, properties could be seen as an animating "force". How can physics ever explain this animating force without employing the "God" argument?
A book has a mass of say 0.2 kg, it's red, and burns at a certain temperature. Its properties can be explained by its constituent molucular make-up.
Water molecules have a pH of 7. Its enthalpy of fusion is 6 kJ/mole, etc, etc. These properties can be explained by its two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
An atom of gold is has such and such properties because it has 79 electrons in 6 orbitals around its nucleus.
...and the nucleus is made of protons and neutrons (up and down quarks) and, hence, have the properties they have.
so on and so on.
My question is this: how does one explain properties at the fundamental level?
Fundamental particles and energy must have properties, attributes that determine how they interact. If they didn't, nothing in the universe would change. So, properties could be seen as an animating "force". How can physics ever explain this animating force without employing the "God" argument?