Question about the Big Bang Theory – Where did matter come from?

Initially there was no matter but energy. But einstein's E = mc2 says that energy and matter can transform into one another. Matter appeared after energy. Some people argue that the total energy of the universe is zero because energy has different sign. So you can have a universe for free given the laws of physics. As stephen hawking says in his new book, because we have such law as gravitation universe can spontaneously arise.

We simply do not know how the big bang started. It created the Universe as we know it, space and time, so it is mere speculation as to what came before.

The site below gives some evidence for the big bang theory, and describes how we think it took place, but we don't know what came before.

Initially after the big bang, conditions were too extreme for matter to form - there was just a soup of fundamental particles, which as it cooled coalesced to form hydrogen and helium atoms. It was much later that stars began to form, which in turn created heavier elements through nuclear fusion and through going supernova, heavier elements still.

Edit - agree about quantum mechanics - matter can arise spontaneously from nothing and disappear again just as quickly; the possibility of there being energy fields which the Big Bang arose out of - but this is still just speculation at this stage, unless CERN comes up with some startling discoveries soon!

It used to be that science couldn't answer the question about the origin 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.

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 -- 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 Lawrence Krauss, or get his book (at the 2nd link).

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The Big Bang only created energy and space (the energy later turned into matter). If you are asking where this stuff comes from, i think this documentary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-jQUHUF1MU

explains that the best, even if it isn't the theme of the documentary.

Matter comes from energy, because matter and energy ARE INTERCHANGEABLE, according Energy = mass times the speed light in a vacuum x the peed of light in a vacuum, usually shortened to E = mc^2. MASS COMES FROM ENERGY. The Big Bang had a LOT of energy. It had to cool down before matter could start to form into sub-atomic particles that came together to form electrons protons and neutrons, which had to cool down to form atoms and compounds (molecules). The mass did NOT come from some where else AS MASS. The same thing happens, but in reverse, when mass gets beyond the event horizon of a black hole - lot of it is converted into energy as it goes into the black hole AT THE EVENT HORIZON, which radiates the energy away as X-rays FROM THE EVENT HORIZON of the black hole. X-ray are electromagnetic energy. MASS AND ENERGY ARE INTERCHANGEABLE and are conserved.

Here's an explanation for kids:

http://books.google.com/books?id=yMoR--KGJ3UC&pg=P...

The matter of the universe came from nothing !

Good question. All of theoretical physics has been working towards being able to answer that question.

One of the more recent theories, based on string theory, is that two "branes" collided. Sorry but I can't think of an easy way to explain what they mean by that.

If you come up with the answer you will be considered a god among men.

Uniontera number 2, 9 and 13, hope it helps. This is your so-called matter.

Existence is the time expressed by light itself. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjmOw1Pnc4s

1. When same times met ... Arrow A (This is your so-called "Energy". / Cause of Laser / Origin of Death / Reason of Chemical reaction)

2. When different times met ... Arrow B (This is your so-called "Mass". / Cause of Higgs boson / Origin of Life / Reason of Biological reaction / cf. Gravity, Sex)

3. The rose line is the beginning light. (result from Genesis 1:3)

4. The existence of different time. (result from relativity of light)

5. 2 dimension is not a space. (result from 2-axis, math)

6. Universe came from nothing. (result from No.5 / cf. Playing with bubbles)

6-1. A barrier[position] exist between the inner and outer bubbles. But universe do not have that barrier. (Cause of Inertia / Reason of Sun / Position of Antimatter / Origin of Fire / cf. Expansion, Conservation of parity, Time-reversal invariance)

6-2. Nothing is not a no existence. No existence is a zero dimension. There is two zero dimension. One has a position. The other doesn't have a position. These different positions were connected by something. That "something" is not a what but a way. (Cause of Light / cf. Ether)

7. Progress / Event / Probability is a time. (This is my trinity.)

8. Wave-particle duality of light, creation & evolution, uncertainty principle, etc. (result from No.7)

9. Coalescing of different times. (Cause of Rotation & Spin / Equator has plenty of time. / Origin of Colour / Reason of Reflection / cf. Strong interaction)

10. Your so-called "Black hole" is a wholly condensed time. (cf. Kerr spacetime)

11. The reason of your so-called "Magnetic field". (result from step3 and 4)

11-1. The reason of your so-called "Dark matter". (result from step3 to 4 / Energy-Mass duality / cf. Dark energy "step4 to 3")

12. The reason of your so-called "Electric field". (result from the crack of time / Same time's crack is a different time's connection. / Cause of Static electricity)

13. Your so-called "Space" is a crack of time. (result from No.12 / Cause of Lightning, Earthquake / Reason of Refraction / cf. Weak interaction)

13-1. The reason of your so-called "Capture & Decay". (result from No.13's crack of time / cf. Violation of time-reversal invariance)

13-2. The reason of No.6-2's "position & none position". (result from No13-1's "capture & decay")

13-3. The reason of No.13's space. (result from No.13-2's "position & none position" / cf. Noneconservation of parity)

14. Boundary is a crack of space. (result from No.13 / Same space's crack is a different time's contact. / Cause of Superfluid / cf. Fractal)

15. Boundary is nothing. Your so-called "Hole" is a boundary itself. Also, nothing is K=0 temperature. (result from No.14 / cf. Calabi-Yau, Hilbert space)

16. This is a wall of your so-called "Fire". (result from No.15) - copyright ⓒ uniontera

Our nonsense has come from one time. Uniontera is a key.

English is not my first language, sorry!

If it is difficult to understand, just remember & enjoy "Hand touching everything is a time". This is the only one result of uniontera.

that show sucks.