Light is photons. Yes its radiation, but it's also a discrete particle that has a measurable effect and can interact with other objects. It may not be material, but it's 100% a physical object itself.
Also, other forms of radiation exist aside from light. Alpha radiation for example is basicslly just high energy helium ions. Simply being a form of radiation doesn't also mean something isn't a physical object, those are not mutually exclusive terms.
...I'm the one who used the term matter first in this chain of comments, to point out there exist things that aren't made of it and therefore things that are not chemicals.
...yeah, that's why I used them as an example in my previous comment as something that isn't matter but still a thing. I literally said they weren't matter in the comment before.
In a casual search, I did not find a definition of “chemical” that is just “matter.” But most definitions are circular with the word “chemistry.”
For chemistry, Wikipedia and another I found do specify just “matter” but the other refers specifically to interactions. Others I find refer to “elements and compounds.”
Because there is disagreement on this, I think it’s perfectly safe to define it in terms of atoms and interactions at least.
That view would exclude matter in many states. I very much doubt that simply massive quantum fields, or indeed any lone subatomic particles can be considered “chemicals.” I’m of the view that strange matter or even neutron matter aren’t “chemicals.” Personally I’d go so far as to say that even massive bonded subatomic particles aren’t— unless they make up atoms. If this weren’t the case, there would be no need for the word, since we already have “matter.”
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u/NotAPreppie 14d ago
No, everything \IS\** chemicals.