Because "essentially dimensionless" is not the same thing as "actually a point mass".e2m2a said:In the science literature I read of particles, such as electrons, that are essentially dimensionless-- a point. Now science knows that an electron has a definite rest mass. If an electron is essentially a point, then its mass/volume density would approach infinity. If so, why doesn't an electron collaspse into a mini-black hole?
e2m2a said:In the science literature I read of particles, such as electrons, that are essentially dimensionless-- a point. Now science knows that an electron has a definite rest mass. If an electron is essentially a point, then its mass/volume density would approach infinity. If so, why doesn't an electron collaspse into a mini-black hole?
To see how that was calculated...Classically, the electron radius is about 3 fm
Huh yeah - I was going to say... same volume yes, but they have to have different quantum states.An electron does fill a volume*, [...] * = quantum states. See also: Pauli's Exclusion Principle.
Just wanted to repeat this :)Classically, the mass-energy of a finite-radius charged sphere is not all concentrated within the sphere; some of it is carried by the energy of the electric field outside the sphere. Quantum-mechanically, QED describes a particle as being surrounded by a region of the vacuum that's full of virtual particle-antiparticle pairs, and the "dressed" particle has properties that have to be renormalized. I don't think a full description is possible without a theory of quantum gravity, which we don't have.
The theoretical infinite density of a point particle is a concept in physics that refers to the idea that a particle with no physical size and all its mass concentrated in a single point would have infinite density. This concept is often used in theoretical models to describe the behavior of particles in extreme conditions, such as black holes or the early universe.
The calculation of the theoretical infinite density of a point particle involves taking the mass of the particle and dividing it by the volume of the particle, which is assumed to be zero. Mathematically, this would result in an infinite value, hence the term "infinite density". However, it should be noted that this is a theoretical concept and does not necessarily reflect the true density of a physical particle.
The concept of the theoretical infinite density of a point particle has significant implications in the fields of cosmology and particle physics. It is often used in models to describe the behavior of particles in extreme conditions, such as the singularity inside a black hole or the state of the universe at the beginning of the Big Bang. It also helps scientists understand the fundamental properties and behaviors of particles at a fundamental level.
No, the theoretical infinite density of a point particle is not a physical reality. It is a mathematical concept that is often used in theoretical models to describe the behavior of particles in extreme conditions. In reality, particles have a finite size and their density can only approach a certain value, but it can never be truly infinite.
No, the theoretical infinite density of a point particle cannot be observed or measured directly. As it is a theoretical concept, it does not have a physical manifestation that can be observed. However, scientists can use mathematical equations and models to make predictions about the behavior of particles in extreme conditions where the concept of infinite density is relevant.