Question: How did all matter start?
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Hi tommy4711,
Mat’s given a nice neat summary. Another complication, though, is that there is not only matter but ANTI-matter, which is basically exactly the same as matter except that if matter and anti-matter meet they blow each other up to give pure energy according to Einstein’s E = mc^2.
And the Big Bang, according to the best current theories in physics, should have produced exactly the same amount of matter and anti-matter. Now, it clearly didn’t: it produced more matter, because after loads of matter and anti-matter destroyed each other we’re left with the matter that we see around us today (there’s not much anti-matter around at all).
So we know that our best theories are missing something!
Edward
The big bang theory says that in the beginning there was only energy, and that as the universe expanded it cooled, and that the energy became matter. I know that’s not a very satisfying answer, because you can ask “why did matter form as it cooled?” which is a very good question.
Matter and energy are equivalent. They are related by Einstein’s famous equation e=mc squared. There’s a huge amount of energy in mass. The sun is converting mass to energy, which is why it’s so hot. But as to why the energy turned to mass at the start of the universe – I’m not sure. There’s a very good book on this called The First Three Minutes by Steven Weinberg. I read it when I was 17, and obviously I missed the chapter where he dealt with the Why question…
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