Can photons have mass and momentum?

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SUMMARY

Photons possess zero rest mass, confirmed by the equation E² = (mc²)² + (pc)², which simplifies to E = pc for massless particles. This indicates that while photons do not have mass, they do carry momentum. The relationship between energy and frequency is established through Planck's constant, represented as E = hf. Thus, photons exhibit momentum despite lacking mass.

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  • Understanding of Einstein's mass-energy equivalence principle
  • Familiarity with the concepts of momentum in physics
  • Knowledge of Planck's constant and its role in quantum mechanics
  • Basic grasp of wave-particle duality in physics
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do the photons have mas?or just the momentum?or both??
 
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Photons have zero rest mass m=0. So the equation

E² = (mc²)² + (pc)²

relating energy E, rest mass m and momentum p reduces to

E = pc

Using Planck's constant h the energy E can be written in terms of frequency f as

E = hf
 

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