So I understand that no energy/matter is created or lost, I also understand that the universe tends towards chaos/entropy. I’ve been wondering lately thought, is there a layer at which decay stops?
Like I know a molecule can be broken down into atoms, but will atoms decay due to entropy? Why/why not? Is it to do with the different universal forces?
I know I’m probably asking a simple sounding question that is complex.
In: Physics
Well firstly, there are some fundamental particles that don’t appear to be made of anything else, just energy bound up. Electrons can’t really decay into anything, because they aren’t made of anything. They’re already the lightest possible particle in that family. Similarly, photons can’t decay (although they can lose energy*). Presently, the only composite particle that probably doesn’t decay is the proton. Although protons are made of quarks, it seems like quarks can’t possibly be alone and protons are the lightest stable particle made of quarks.
Light loses energy as it gets stretched out. That happens as space expands, stretching the light within it. That can also happen to other particles, but their wavelengths are too small and expansion is too slow to affect them, until expansion accelerates.
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