Amplitude - photon correspondence

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    Amplitude Photon
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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the relationship between photon emission and the amplitude of electromagnetic waves in laser pointers. A weak battery results in fewer emitted photons compared to a strong battery, which increases the amplitude of the light wave. The correspondence between the number of photons and the amplitude is established, with the energy of the wave (W) being proportional to the square of the electric field (E). To find the specific amount of amplitude per photon, one can calculate W/hf, where h is Planck's constant and f is the frequency of the light.

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  • Understanding of electromagnetic waves and their properties
  • Basic knowledge of photon energy calculations (E=hf)
  • Familiarity with laser technology and battery performance
  • Concept of wave amplitude and its relation to energy
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  • Research the relationship between amplitude and photon count in laser physics
  • Study the principles of electromagnetic wave propagation
  • Learn about Planck's constant and its applications in quantum mechanics
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Physics students, laser technology enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the quantum mechanics of light and energy relationships.

ComputerPsi
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Hello,

I've got a number of questions about physics. None of my physics friends have given me clearly defined answers, so I thought maybe asking here.
For now, I'll just ask one simple question.

So, if I have a laser pointer, which has a weak battery, it will shine with less number of photons than if I had a strong battery. Correct? The only difference, with a strong battery, would be more photons. Correct?
If you look at the laser pointer's electromagnetic light wave the change you would see, with the stronger battery, is that the amplitude of the wave increased.

If this is the case, then there is a correspondence between the number of photons, and the amplitude of the light wave.
Meaning that each photo corresponds to a specific amount of amplitude.
Do you know what this specific amount of amplitude per photon?

Thank you,
Veniamin
 
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You can make a rough estimate.

Take the energy in the wave, call it W (it should be proportional to the square of the electric field E), and then take the energy of one photon = hf, and divide the two: W/hf.
 

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