How does the Electromagnetic force keep electrons in place if there is no medium for it to 'travel' through?

Question

I must be missing something painfully obvious. 

But if electrons and quarks (and their constituent doppelgangers, the positrons etc.) are truly the most fundamental building blocks of nature, then through what medium does the electromagnetic force 'travel' through? Surely a force must move through some medium in order to have its influence felt. 

I then thought that I was imagining this wrong, that electron clouds gyrate randomly, and deflect off the nucleus if they get too close. But then what is to stop them from pinging off into space? The pulling force of electromagnetism from the nucleus has to be 'communicated' in some way between the atomic nucleus and the distant electron clouds. But how?

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

As you suggest , if you have any  classical force or energy "field" , the question arises as to how the field's  influence is transmitted ?And it seems there are only two obvious ways :
Between the "actuator" and the "responder " there is a coupling medium that fills the intervening space.This medium then transmits the "force" between them.
Or the "actuator" simply launches /exchanges "messenger particles" with  the "responder".
In the standard model --the messenger particle idea is the one adopted. That forces are transmitted by the "exchange" of force particle messengers, such as photons , gluons etc.

? · Answer

The electromagnetic force doesn't need a medium to travel through - EM force is mediated by photons... electromagnetic waves can travel through a vacuum....

andrew · Answer

spacetime according to relativity

force particles such as the photon according to quantum mechanics

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How does the Electromagnetic force keep electrons in place if there is no medium for it to 'travel' through?

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