What is Matter?

[Event Horizon]

From what I have read of the subject all matter is ultimately reduced to the strength of the fundamental forces. My question is what exerts those forces?

[Yaga Shu Ra]

In quantum mechanics, waves behave as if being composed of particles (because emission or absorbtion can only take place in quanta) and particles can behave like waves. (as in not having a definite position) This duality means we can start describing the universe as being composed of particles.

These particles can be divided into two groups; matter particles and force carying particles. The force carying particles in their turn get divided into four catagories, the fundamental forces you spoke of.

A matter particle emits a force carying particle wich is absorbed by a second matter particle at collision. The recoil from emission and the impact at collision change the velocity of both matter particles as if there's a force acting between them.

[Playfishpaste]

That's very basic form, that would be it, though I think what you're asking is "where does the stuff that makes the particles come from?".

For now, we consider the Higgs responsible for the generation of matter waves/particles.

For an understanding of how, read QED.

[bthizle1]

In quantum mechanics, waves behave as if being composed of particles (because emission or absorbtion can only take place in quanta) and particles can behave like waves. (as in not having a definite position) This duality means we can start describing the universe as being composed of particles.

These particles can be divided into two groups; matter particles and force carying particles. The force carying particles in their turn get divided into four catagories, the fundamental forces you spoke of.

A matter particle emits a force carying particle wich is absorbed by a second matter particle at collision. The recoil from emission and the impact at collision change the velocity of both matter particles as if there's a force acting between them.

That pretty much sums up what we know as of now.

To get a bit more descriptive, in terms of what we "say" is taking place/present there's 17 elements (well, 16, the 17th is yet to be confirmed....Higgs Boson?). They are broken into two groups, Fermions: elements that form matter and Bosons: essentially force carries.

Fermions are then broken in to two groups; Quarks and Leptons.
Quarks combine to produce protons and neutrons in the nucleus. Leptons are commonly held as being electrons.

So what is matter?
Well, as far as we know it's a combination of elements which are acted on by force carriers: photons, Z bosons, W bosons, and gluons.

Oh, we must also take into consideration the fundamental forces of nature that we know of:
-Gravity
-The electromagnetic force: The force between electrically-charged particles, and magnetism.
-The weak nuclear force: The force behind beta radioactive decay.
-The strong nuclear force: Holds protons and neutrons together within their nucleus.

And this is all very broad, there's MUCH more detail that goes into matters makeup than this!

[Event Horizon]

What I meant was that the definition of any fundamental particle comes in values of the fundamental forces.

A quark is a "particle" with a certain mass, charge and strong/weak force strength. Nothing else beyond these force strengths are known.

My point and question was that all structures we know of are ultimately reduced to force and space, macroscopic structures are complex arrangements of force, we see and feel forces not objects.

So what then fundamentally exerts these forces? Objects such as quarks, leptons etc. are known only by there force strengths; a set of force strengths is what we call an object. I understand that forces are exchanged through mechanisms that are called force carriers, or indeed called particles, but then again all particles are defined by their forces.

[Sphere]

The Higgs boson is as deep as current science has gotten on the matter. (Though, it hasn't been found experimentally yet), it is the theorectical link that allows massless particles to have mass.

If anyone can answer your question on a deeper level than this, they would be in line for the next nobel prize.

[Playfishpaste]

All particles are not defined by their forces necessarily, it depends on which theory you're going by.