What is the Difference Between Matter and Antimatter?

Matter and antimatter are subatomic particles that have the same mass but opposite charge and other differences in properties. The main differences between matter and antimatter are:

1. Electric Charge: Matter particles have a positive charge, while antimatter particles have a negative charge. For example, the positively charged positron is the antiparticle of the negatively charged electron.
2. Annihilation: When matter and antimatter particles come in contact, they annihilate each other, leaving behind pure energy. This annihilation process has been observed and is a well-established phenomenon.
3. Abundance: The visible universe is composed almost entirely of ordinary matter, with very little antimatter present. The reason for this imbalance between matter and antimatter is one of the great unsolved mysteries in physics.

Despite these differences, matter and antimatter particles have the same mass and decay properties. Research into the asymmetry between matter and antimatter continues, with various experiments conducted at facilities like CERN's Antiproton Decelerator and the AMS-2 experiment aboard the International Space Station.

Comparative Table: Matter vs Antimatter

Here is a table comparing the differences between matter and antimatter:

Matter and antimatter share the same mass but have opposite electric charges. The matter-antimatter asymmetry problem is one of the biggest challenges in physics, as it is not yet fully understood why the universe contains far more matter than antimatter, despite the fact that the Big Bang should have created equal amounts of both. When matter and antimatter particles come into contact, they annihilate each other, leaving behind pure energy. Antimatter, although rare in the universe, has been created in laboratory experiments and studied for its properties.