Which characteristic is shared by both dark matter and baryonic matter?
Both dark matter and baryonic matter are sources of gravitational attraction.
The characteristic shared by both dark matter and baryonic matter is that they both have mass. However, it is important to note that dark matter does not interact with light or other electromagnetic radiation, whereas baryonic matter does.
Both dark matter and baryonic matter share the property of having mass. However, it's important to note that dark matter and baryonic matter differ in many other ways.
To understand why dark matter and baryonic matter share the characteristic of mass, let's break it down further:
1. Baryonic Matter: This is the regular matter that we are more familiar with, consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Baryonic matter interacts via the electromagnetic force, which means it can be observed through electromagnetic radiation (e.g. light). Baryonic matter is responsible for making up stars, planets, and everything in the visible universe.
2. Dark Matter: Dark matter, as the name suggests, does not emit, reflect, or absorb light or any other form of electromagnetic radiation that we currently know of. It does not interact with the electromagnetic force, making it "invisible" to our conventional telescopes and detectors. Despite this, dark matter makes up a significant portion of the total matter in the universe, roughly around 85%.
The main reason why dark matter and baryonic matter share the characteristic of mass is due to their effects on gravity. Both types of matter have mass, and mass is the primary source of gravity. Gravity is what causes matter to attract other matter, resulting in the formation of structures such as galaxies, galaxy clusters, and even on smaller scales, like star systems.
Scientists have inferred the existence of dark matter based on its gravitational effects on visible matter. For example, the speeds at which galaxies rotate around their centers cannot be explained by the observed mass of baryonic matter alone. The gravitational influence of unseen dark matter is required to explain these observations.
In summary, while dark matter and baryonic matter both possess mass, they differ in their interaction with electromagnetic radiation and their composition. Dark matter remains one of the biggest mysteries in astrophysics and cosmology, and ongoing research aims to further understand its nature and properties.