MetaUniT

This theory sounds just like quantum mechanics, generally, in a very simplified way. Except that there are large jumps in the energy ranges in which groups of particles interact with each other.

I imagine the "empty space" as a sort of place holder for the information of the forces acting to hold the atoms together. If the atoms were no longer held together, you would have to assume the forces holding them together would have been changed, and that would change the behavior of the force carring particles. So however you would change the fundamental forces that hold the atoms together to cause them to collapse, would determine the state of the rest of the matter/energy.

What a great video, thank you for that! That was an excellent overview, but I'm looking for details as to what exactly is happening when the atoms "snap back together." I know they are held together by one of the 4 forces, I think either the electromagnetic force (or maybe the weak nucular force), but the shuffling of the atoms emits subatomic particles (at least photons) as a means of exchanging energy, and that's what I'm interested in. And thanks for the answers.

Say I flick my lighter, what happens to make the flame? My understanding so far is that >friction creates heat (spark)[(from colliding particles I presume??) but how??] >heat causes the electrons in the atoms of the lighter fluid to jump to outer orbits (what causes the heat to change the behavior of the electrons? I'm assuming a force carring particle is exchanged) >with electrons in new orbits the atoms rearrange exchanging electrons with atoms in the surrounding air What is it exactly that causes the heat and light, I suppose photons are being given off, but at what part in the process does that happen? Do sub-atomic particles such as force carriers play a role in this process? Thanks in advance for the help. (I've never taken a physics class in my life so please forgive me if I have no idea what I'm saying, haha!)