- #1
thefifthlord
- 25
- 0
Anything that has energy must have some form of mass. Photons have both energy and momentum (Just because we chose to measure their momentum in terms of their wavelength doesn't mean they don't have mass!). It may be so small as to be immeasurable, but it does have mass. (I'm still new to this so i beg you're pardon if there is some undeniable proof that says that photons can't have mass(Please post a complete explanation).)
p = mv for pretty much everything that isn't moving at the speed of light.
But suppose if p = mv does indeed work for light
that would mean that
mv = h/lambda (possibly for all particles, light or otherwise).
in this case the velocity is the speed of light so,
mc = h/lambda
m = (h/lambda)/c
Which would mean that as the wavelength of the light decreases, the mass of the photon is increased. We know for a fact that light of a lower wavelength is of a higher frequency, and we know that higher frequency light is higher energy light. If the speed of light is indeed constant regardless of its frequency this is consistent with E = mc^2 (as E goes up so must m).
This means that either c isn't constant for all light particles, or that light does have increases in mass.
We know that all particles that move at a constant speed exhibit wave like motion, this motion becomes more apparent at the speeds of light but even if i were to throw a tennis ball in a straight line in a free-gravity vacuum, it would exhibit wave like motion. If one were to measure the wavelength and the frequency of the tennis ball i am almost 100% sure that they would get the same value for its momentum using the equation p = h/lambda as p=mv.
So can someone please explain to me thoroughly why photons don't have mass.
Thanks,
p = mv for pretty much everything that isn't moving at the speed of light.
But suppose if p = mv does indeed work for light
that would mean that
mv = h/lambda (possibly for all particles, light or otherwise).
in this case the velocity is the speed of light so,
mc = h/lambda
m = (h/lambda)/c
Which would mean that as the wavelength of the light decreases, the mass of the photon is increased. We know for a fact that light of a lower wavelength is of a higher frequency, and we know that higher frequency light is higher energy light. If the speed of light is indeed constant regardless of its frequency this is consistent with E = mc^2 (as E goes up so must m).
This means that either c isn't constant for all light particles, or that light does have increases in mass.
We know that all particles that move at a constant speed exhibit wave like motion, this motion becomes more apparent at the speeds of light but even if i were to throw a tennis ball in a straight line in a free-gravity vacuum, it would exhibit wave like motion. If one were to measure the wavelength and the frequency of the tennis ball i am almost 100% sure that they would get the same value for its momentum using the equation p = h/lambda as p=mv.
So can someone please explain to me thoroughly why photons don't have mass.
Thanks,