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annms
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If light is quantized, and is given out in packets, why are the EM wave spectrum and the black body spectrum continuous? I am very confused, can someone offer some explanation? Any input is greatly appreciated.
in the same way that a liquid composed of individual molecules is continuous. N is so large and \Delta E so small that you don't notice the quantization.annms said:If light is quantized, and is given out in packets, why are the EM wave spectrum and the black body spectrum continuous?
Meir Achuz said:in the same way that a liquid composed of individual molecules is continuous. N is so large and \Delta E so small that you don't notice the quantization.
Could you please provide some evidence for this claim?unusualname said:EM spectrum would be discrete if time is discrete.
annms said:If light is quantized, and is given out in packets, why are the EM wave spectrum and the black body spectrum continuous? I am very confused, can someone offer some explanation? Any input is greatly appreciated.
A. Neumaier said:Could you please provide some evidence for this claim?
?unusualname said:at the end of the nineteenth century Planck discovered the (constant) quantum of action which is energy * time, therefore if time is discrete so is energy and hence so is photon frequency (duh!)
A. Neumaier said:?
Units have nothing to do with discreteness.
The spectrum of the hydrogen atom has a discrete part and a continuous part. So energy is both discrete and continuous. According to your argument, since Plancks constant is constant, it follows that time is both discrete and continuous, too.
You talked and talk nonsense. I refuted your _argument_ by applying it to different assumptions. This is independent of whether or not the physics changes at short time scales.unusualname said:I've said something very simple above. The continuous part of the hydrogen spectrum is a mathematical construction which assumes continuously varying time parameter, not an experimentally established fact down to 10^-43 secs resolution.
I know you're a very smart guy, so you're obviously having some "overthink" problem here, really, I haven't said anything complicated or controversial.
A. Neumaier said:You talked and talk nonsense. I refuted your _argument_ by applying it to different assumptions. This is independent of whether or not the physics changes at short time scales.
You assert this without any shred of evidence. The argument you gave for it is completely spurious, as I showed by applying it to a different situation.unusualname said:But if time was found to be discrete then so would the the EM spectrum be discrete.
Well, this is a very old thread, and the original poster hasn't visited the site for years. Nevertheless, the question displays a widespread misunderstanding of the meaning of ''quantized''.annms said:If light is quantized, and is given out in packets, why are the EM wave spectrum and the black body spectrum continuous?
The EM spectrum is a continuous range of wavelengths that includes all forms of electromagnetic radiation, including visible light. This continuous nature of the EM spectrum is due to the fact that the energy of an individual photon (which is quantized) can vary within a certain range. Therefore, while the energy of a single photon may be quantized, the overall spectrum appears continuous due to the wide range of possible photon energies.
The quantization of light and the continuous nature of blackbody radiation are related through the Planck's law. This law states that the energy of a photon is directly proportional to its frequency, and therefore, the energy of a photon can only take on certain discrete values. However, when considering a large number of photons emitted by a blackbody, the distribution of their energies appears continuous due to the large number of possible energy levels.
Quantization is the process of restricting a physical quantity, such as energy, into discrete values. In the case of light, the energy of a photon is quantized, meaning it can only take on certain values. However, when considering the EM spectrum as a whole, the energy can vary continuously due to the wide range of possible photon energies.
The quantization of light does not significantly affect our understanding of the EM spectrum as a whole. While the energy of an individual photon is quantized, the overall spectrum appears continuous due to the large number of possible photon energies. This allows us to still accurately describe and study the EM spectrum using continuous models and equations.
The quantization of light has been extensively studied and has not shown any major consequences on our current understanding of the universe. However, there are ongoing debates and research on the nature of light and its potential impact on other areas of physics, such as the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. As our understanding of light continues to evolve, it may lead to new insights and discoveries in these areas.