Confused About Light & Mass: Get Help Here!

AI Thread Summary
Understanding light and mass involves key concepts from physics, particularly the relationship between energy and mass as described by Einstein's equation E=mc². To calculate the energy of a photon, one can use the formula E=hf, where h is Planck's constant and f is the frequency of the light. The discussion emphasizes that a sombrero cannot spontaneously transform into a light particle without violating conservation laws; however, if it transforms into multiple photons, total energy must be conserved. Resources on special relativity are recommended for deeper insights into these concepts. Overall, grasping the interplay between light and mass is crucial for understanding fundamental physics.
Dgonzo15
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I just got unit work of light and mass, and know NOTHING about it, and the site has no resource links. Can someone please tell me a general idea of what there is to know about light and mass, formulas, or any resources I can use?

Also, how would you calculate the 'energy' of a photon, such as in the question "A sombrero spontaneously transforms into a light particle. What would be its energy?" ?
 
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Books about special relativity should help.

"A sombrero spontaneously transforms into a light particle. What would be its energy?"
It cannot, this would violate energy or momentum conservation. If it transforms into multiple light particles, total energy is conserved. You can calculate the total energy of the sombrero (in its rest frame) with the famous formula E=mc2.
 
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