Activity of photon during wavelegnth duration

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter acesuv
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Activity Photon
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the behavior of photons in relation to their wavelength, particularly in the context of radio waves. Participants explore the conceptual understanding of how photons interact with matter and the implications of their wave-like properties, touching on both classical and quantum perspectives.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions why a photon cannot hit an observer from the "side" if it is thought to travel in a zig-zag path due to its wavelength.
  • Another participant challenges the depiction of photons traveling back and forth in unison with the wavelength, asking for the source of such a depiction.
  • A participant expresses uncertainty about the visual representations found online and feels discouraged by the lack of clarity.
  • It is noted that the sinusoidal representations of electromagnetic waves illustrate the behavior of classical electric and magnetic fields rather than the motion of photons themselves.
  • A more complex relationship between classical fields and quantum photons is mentioned, emphasizing the need for caution when connecting these concepts without a solid understanding of quantum electrodynamics (QED).
  • The discussion includes a point about energy in electromagnetic radiation, linking classical field energy to the energy of photons through the equation E = hf.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the depiction of photon behavior and the interpretation of electromagnetic waves, indicating that multiple competing views remain without a consensus.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations in understanding the connection between classical electromagnetic theory and quantum mechanics, particularly regarding the visual representations of wave behavior and the implications for photon interactions.

acesuv
Messages
63
Reaction score
0
(disregard my improvised science lingo)

so like... a radio wave has a rather macroscopic wavelength. the photon is depicted as traveling back and forth in unison with the wavelength. I am having trouble understanding why the photon can't hit you from the "side". if the photon is traveling a zig-zaged path (zig zags due to wavelength), then is it possible for the photon to actually hit you from the "side"? if you get hit by a radiowave when its coming back down from its wavelength, it has some velocity in a direction which the light isn't actually travelling. I am thinking uncertainty principals somehow negate this? please help thanks
 
Physics news on Phys.org
acesuv said:
a radio wave has a rather macroscopic wavelength. the photon is depicted as traveling back and forth in unison with the wavelength.

No, it doesn't do that. Where have you seen this depicted?
 
jtbell said:
No, it doesn't do that. Where have you seen this depicted?

im not sure. i did a google image search and couldn't find any depictions of such, which discourages me.

thanks
 
The sinusoidal "pictures" that you usually see of electromagnetic waves are supposed to represent the behavior of classical electric and magnetic fields. They show the magnitude and direction of those fields at various points, at various times, not the motion of actual objects.

The relationship between classical electric and magnetic fields on one hand, and quantum-electrodynamical photons on the other hand, is rather complex and subtle. Unless you know QED well, it's dangerous to try to connect the two.

The safest way is via energy: classical electric and magnetic fields carry energy. A volume of space "filled" with electromagnetic radiation contains a certain amount of energy E, which we can calculate from classical electrodynamics in terms of the amplitudes of the electric and magnetic fields. Looking at this in terms of photons, each photon has energy hf. So if the radiation has a single frequency, then we can say the average number of photons in that volume is N = E / hf.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: 1 person

Similar threads

Undergrad Photons and Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K
Undergrad Photon in a mirrored box moving in direction of travel
  • · Replies 26 ·
Replies
26
Views
2K
Graduate Photons and Double Slit Experiment
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
Undergrad Some questions about Cosmic Microwave Background radiation
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
7K
Graduate Energy change of a photon when it bounces between two mirrors
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
4K
Undergrad Details of how electricity and radio work
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
4K
Graduate Strange Spam Email (The Limitation of the Photon Hypothesis)
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Graduate Light Clock Thought Experiment: Parallel Moving Mirrors
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
4K
Graduate 4 the question related to double slit experimetn
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
Graduate Can Time Differ in Nested Cylinders Traveling at Near-Light Speed?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K