Where did matter and energy come from?

I know of the big bang theory, and how people think before it, energy was matter, and all was energy, but I don't understand where that energy came from. For an atom (even if there was none before the big bang), there have to be electrons and protons and neutrons. But where did the electron come from? It can't just be. From the beginning of time, there had to be something, but where did time come from? How did the whole universe form, from nothing? How can you get something from nothing? There wasn't even nothing, because 'nothingness' is something. I've thought of how maybe there was God (I'm an atheist), but God has to be made of something too - even if he / it was just energy, a power, that has to be something too. I know this is confusing, but I don't understand. Where did everything come from? Please don't tell me everything came from the Big Bang, because I'm talking about before the Big Bang happened - there had to be matter for it to happen, but how did matter come to be? It can't just magically come to exist.
Answer:

It used to be that science couldn't answer the question about the origin of the universe or of the Big Bang, but that didn't mean we should make up an answer (such as a god) and say that it was the cause. Within the last few decades science has discovered some good answers. Quantum mechanics shows that "nothing," as a philosophical concept, does not exist. There is always a quantum field with random fluctuations. There are many well-respected physicists, such as Stephen Hawking, Lawrence Krauss, Sean M. Carroll, Victor Stenger, Michio Kaku, Alan Guth, Alex Vilenkin, Robert A.J. Matthews, and Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek, who have created scientific models where the Big Bang and thus the entire universe could arise from nothing but a quantum vacuum fluctuation in the quantum field -- via natural processes. In relativity, gravity is negative energy, and matter and photons are positive energy. Because negative and positive energy seem to be equal in absolute total value, our observable universe appears balanced to the sum of zero. Our universe could thus have come into existence without violating conservation of mass and energy — with the matter of the universe condensing out of the positive energy as the universe cooled, and gravity created from the negative energy. When energy condenses into matter, equal parts of matter and antimatter are created — which annihilate each other to form energy. However there is a slight imbalance to the process, which results in matter dominating over antimatter. I know that this doesn't make sense in our Newtonian experience, but it does in the realm of quantum mechanics and relativity. As Nobel laureate physicist Richard Feynman wrote, "The theory of quantum electrodynamics describes nature as absurd from the point of view of common sense. And it agrees fully with experiment. So I hope you can accept nature as she is — absurd." For more, watch the video at the 1st link - "A Universe From Nothing" by theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss, read an interview with him (at the 2nd link), get his new book (at the 3rd link), or read an excerpt from his book (at the 4th link). -

Dorothy Meszaros at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

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Other answers

the simplest answer to this mess is "we dont know yet". I could go line by line and explain bits and pieces , maybe correct a few mistakes and clear up a few misconceptions... but the gist of it would still be that we dont know... yet.

Fah King Genius

Lets say that I could convince you that it all comes from XYZ. Then you would ask, where did XYZ come from? There's no end to questions like that. It's not even a proper science question. The science question is more like this: what EVIDENCE is there now, of where matter and energy came from? A perfectly acceptable answer is "there is no evidence". The universe is just one of those things that happens from time to time. By the way, pure energy, photons, can change into matter all by itself. E = m c^2 works both ways.

Morningfox

Matter came from energy (given the right conditions energy can create matter), the energy came from the rapid expansion of a singularity. The origin of the singularity is still being worked on. Colliding branes, quantum fluctuations, an earlier collapsed universe ... no one knows for sure. Quantum fluctuations seem to be getting the most attention right now, it seems to be the most promising model. The big bang is the origin of the universe, but not the origin of existence. The singularity had to come from somewhere. 100 years ago, we didn't even know about the big bang but found evidence of it. Hopefully the origin of the singularity has evidence we will some day be able to find. -edit- "I know there was light, but where did that light come from?" The singularity's expansion happened at an amazingly fast rate which gave off a massive amount of energy. That energy existed as heat and light energy. The mystery is still there though, we still don't know the origin of the singularity or caused it to expand. I know this answer is dissapointing, but we just don't know the answers yet. It's the "final frontier" to be cliche.

Fitz

Matter comes from the Big Bang nucleosynthesis of hydrogen, helium, lithium beryllium and boron and and STELLAR nucleosynthesis of heavier/more massive atoms by nuclear fusion and the stars going supernova to create elements heavier than nickel on the periodic table. Stellar nucleosynthesis creates energy. The extra mass from fusing four hydrogen atoms into one helium atom becomes energy. Light is created by stellar nucleosynthesis according to E = mc^2. There WAS NO MATTER in the Big Bang BEFORE the Plank era ended. DO NOT GIVE ME the line that there had to be matte before the big bang, because thereWAS NO MATTER BEFORE OR DURING the BIG BANG. You need to learn more basic physics before you can tell ANY ONE that there had to be matter before the Big Bang because you obviously do NOT understand the Big Bang theory very well at all. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planck_epoch http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/cosmology/planck.html http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/P/proton-proton_chain.html http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/C/CNcycle.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bang_nucleosynthesis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellar_nucleosynthesis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernova_nucleosynthesis

oklatonola

Energy has always existed, for it can neither be created nor destroyed. So energy always existed within the realm from which the Big Bang happened that developed into the universe. Matter, which has not always existed, comes from energy. Energy transforms into matter and since matter has come into existence it can produce and transform into energy. Electrons developed from smaller quantum particles. Time is the measure of the motion of energy. As energy moves, however slight or great, it is time in motion. We experience and observe the motion of time in changes in the natural universe, whether being eyewitnesses or observing the aftereffects of such changes. The universe did not come from nothing. There is not anything that comes from nothing. The universe came from a superior source of energy that has always existed along with its time, that is the measure of its motion. Nothingness is nonexistence. Nothing that exists can come from such a state. Matter was only created after the Big Bang. It is energy that existed before the Big Bang. It came from the dynamic energy realm in which the universe exists. This eternal, always existing, energy is what produced the Big Bang. EDIT: "God is a Spirit" John 4:24 Spirit is an invisible force. Forces within the universe are invisible as well. There are the 4 fundamental forces: electromagnetism, weak and strong nuclear forces, and gravity. Also, on earth there is the force of water, wind, earth and heat. The earth even possesses the force of its atmosphere and magnetosphere that shields it from the solar wind. "a spirit does not have flesh and bones" Luke 24:39 God does not have a physical body or form, but one of spirit body or form. "he was existing in God's [form]" Philippians 2:6 "there are heavenly [bodies]" 1Corinthians 15:40 "the Father...You have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his [figure];" John 5:37 God is also made of the highest form of energy from which all other forms of energy and all matter comes. There is also God's active force or holy spirit that dwells throughout his spiritual body along with the energy that runs throughout and radiates from his body. God is unbelievably bright and hot because of the energy of his body. His presence could destroy all the stars within the universe. That is one reason why we puny humans cannot see God, besides his being invisible. Keep in mind that his energy is supernatural and thus superior and more powerful than all the energy combined within the universe. The universe is a product of his energy and spirit, that is his force. "Raise your eyes high up and see. Who has created these things? It is the One who is bringing forth the army of them even by number, all of whom he calls even by name. Due to the [abundance of dynamic energy], he also being [vigorous in power]" Isaiah 40:26 So then, God describes himself as the Living Spirit Being made of Force (his invisible body and his life within) and Energy (His potential for activity within). He uses his active force (holy spirit) and dynamic energy to create all things. While his energy transforms into lower forms of energy as he creates bringing things into existence it is his active force that directs the formation and the making of things (like guiding or molding and mixing things into their final form) It is also this active force or holy spirit from God that is the only thing that creates or gives life to other things. "the spirit is life" Romans 10:6 Yes, God as the Supreme Spirit Being of energy can neither be created nor destroyed. His energy produces other forms of energy and matter. Thus, the universe was created. :)

Mr. Immortel

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