Reference: Essays on Substance
Is Energy Substance?
The approach of science is systematic and empirical, meaning it is not matter-centric. The theory of Substance punctures the current Matter-Centric Fixation in Physics.
The theory of Substance is inspired by the equivalence of matter and energy that was established by Einstein based on the common property of momentum.
Newton defined momentum as “quantity of motion”. Newton’s concept of motion was revolutionary and formed the foundation of classical mechanics. His idea of MOTION involved the following key concepts.
- Inertia
- Force
- Momentum
- Acceleration
- Relativity of Motion
Newton arranged these concepts in terms of the following three laws:
1. Newton’s First Law states that an object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion remains in motion at constant speed and in a straight line, unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. This law, also known as the law of inertia, describes the natural tendency of objects to resist changes in their state of motion.
2. Newton’s Second Law quantifies the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration. Newton defined motion in terms of momentum, which is the product of an object’s mass and velocity. The law states that the force acting on an object is equal to the rate of change of its momentum over time. This law could then be formulated in a mathematical form.
3. Newton’s Third Law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This law describes the interaction between objects and the forces they exert on each other.
Newton’s formulation of momentum was crucial in developing the concept of conservation of momentum, which can be derived from his laws of motion. This definition of momentum remains fundamental in classical mechanics and continues to be used in modern physics.
In classical mechanics “mass” is used as a constant because variation in mass with respect to time (as considered in Newton’s Second Law) are so small that they cannot be measured in the domain of matter, yet they are there. They only become significant when we compare the momentum of electromagnetic energy to the momentum of matter. It took an Einstein to recognize this. And so a new category of substance was born.
The characteristic of substance is momentum, change in which is sensed as force. This characteristic is common to both matter and energy. When humans interface with the physical universe, it is the sensation of force, which they recognize as substance. But the matter-centric fixation says, “There is no substance other than matter.”
The theory of Substance punctures this fixation by pointing out that electromagnetic energy is also a substance on the same grounds as matter. It is a substance because we can sense it.
When the mater-centric fixation, “There is no substance other than matter,” is punctured, a much clearer view emerges in the subject of physics.
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