A possible question concerning the photon

  • Thread starter Thread starter bernhard.rothenstein
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Photon
Click For Summary
The discussion centers on the measurement of rest mass and momentum in the context of relativity, particularly concerning photons. It highlights that while tardyons (particles with mass) can have their rest mass inferred through energy and momentum measurements, photons, which are massless, cannot be measured in the same way. The conversation explores the implications of not being able to measure a physical quantity, questioning whether this leads to a conclusion of zero or infinite values. Participants also discuss the historical context of measurement in physics, emphasizing the importance of understanding measurement processes and the definitions of mass. The thread concludes that the complexities of measuring rest mass, especially for massless particles like photons, remain a topic of exploration in physics.
  • #31
photon

pervect said:
Yep. This formula also nicely demonstrates that for a photon where E=pc, the mass m is zero.
Thank you for your help. Do you consider that it is correct to say that
A particle for which energy and momentum transform via the same transformation factor has a zero rest energy?
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 26 ·
Replies
26
Views
2K
Replies
9
Views
1K
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • · Replies 27 ·
Replies
27
Views
5K
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
3K
Replies
11
Views
1K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
1K