Matter and antimatter are two fundamental concepts in physics that refer to the building blocks of the universe. Matter, as commonly understood, comprises everything that has mass and occupies space, including objects such as atoms, molecules, and larger structures. It is composed of elementary particles known as fermions, like protons, neutrons, and electrons. Matter particles interact with each other through forces like gravity, electromagnetism, and the nuclear forces.
On the other hand, antimatter is composed of antiparticles, which have the same mass as their corresponding matter particles but have opposite charge and other quantum properties. For example, the antiparticle of an electron is called a positron, which carries a positive charge. Antiparticles are often denoted by adding a bar on top of their symbols, such as e- for an electron and e+ for a positron.
When matter and antimatter particles come into contact, they can annihilate each other, releasing a tremendous amount of energy in the process. This phenomenon is known as annihilation. The study of antimatter is important in understanding the fundamental nature of the universe and has practical applications in areas such as medical imaging and particle physics research.
The exact reason for the prevalence of matter over antimatter in the universe remains one of the biggest mysteries in physics. This asymmetry, known as baryon asymmetry, is a topic of ongoing research and investigation.
