why are they empty

Question

. The atoms that make up your body are mostly empty
space, and structures such as the chair you’re sitting on
are composed of atoms that are also mostly empty space.
So why don’t you fall through the chair

Answer 1

There is no empty space in the world. 

 

Within the confines of quantum electrodynamics, all particles are constantly talking to each other through exchanges of virtual photons. Within this "vacuum" there exists an infinite number of particles going into existence and out of existence within the time defined by the heisenburg uncertainty principle. As such in reality there is no empty space.

 

Also this relates to the Higgs boson and why LHC in CERN was made. It is believed that the world is made up of a super fluid of these boson, much like the quantum theory of super conductors. This is the modern concept of ether that many people might have heard about being debunked many years ago. read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelson–Morley_experiment for more...

 

So in a simple answer to your question, the electric force, the long distance force of all the electrons around the nucleus of the atom talk to each other and basically tell the other electrons to back off. Since the force goes up inversely with the square of the distance, this force becomes very very very large as they get close. As such we are all floating around and touching things based on electronic repulsion or attraction...

 

Long winded answer and a little rambling but I hope you get the gist. The main thing to know is electronic repulsion, and there is no "vacuum" in the case of emptiness...the smaller you go in distance and time, the more crazy the world becomes!

Answer 2

It's because of the bonds or interactions between the atoms and molecules of that chair.

 

There are different types of bonds

 

- covalent

- hydrogen

- ionic

 

As well as "weak" interactions between "particles" within an atom

 

Answer 3

Hi Richard;

An atom has a nucleus and electrons surrounding it.  The content of the nucleus includes protons.  It is the distance between the electrons and nucleus that renders an atom 99% space.  The negative charges of the electrons and positive charges of the protons are attracted to each other.  The connectivity is very powerful.  While there is no matter in such space, there is energy.

 

Furthermore, in comprehending this concept, there are two areas of your brain which are involved.  One area of your brain understands that your chair is 99% space.  Another area of your brain can only understand what it perceives and will not receive this information.  There are NO neurons connecting these two areas of the brain because the argument would never end.