Do Photons Possess Spin?

Thread starter ALYAZAN
Start date Dec 16, 2008
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Photon Spin

In summary, photons are considered to be massless particles and have spin, which refers to their polarization. The spin of a photon is related to its energy through Planck's constant and can have two spin states: spin-up and spin-down. Photon spin is important in quantum mechanics as it determines particle interactions and plays a role in the polarization of light, as well as in technologies such as quantum computing and encryption.

Dec 16, 2008

ALYAZAN

Homework Statement

do photons have spin ??

Homework Equations

no equations

The Attempt at a Solution

just wondering about the answer :
no it would have spin but never more than i status as i guess

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Dec 16, 2008

Hootenanny

Staff Emeritus

Science Advisor

Gold Member

Photons have unitary spin and are therefore bosons.

1. Do photons have mass?

No, photons do not have mass. They are considered to be massless particles.

2. What is spin in relation to photons?

Spin is a property of particles that describes their intrinsic angular momentum. In the case of photons, spin refers to their polarization, or the direction of their electric and magnetic fields.

3. How is photon spin related to its energy?

The spin of a photon is related to its energy through Planck's constant. Photons with higher energy have a higher spin value.

4. Can photons have different spin states?

Yes, photons can have two spin states: spin-up and spin-down. These correspond to the two possible directions of the photon's electric and magnetic fields.

5. How is photon spin important in quantum mechanics?

Photon spin is an important concept in quantum mechanics as it is one of the properties that determines how particles interact with each other. It also plays a role in determining the polarization of light and can be used in technologies such as quantum computing and encryption.