Do all massless particles travel at the speed of light?

In summary, photons are not the only particles that have no mass. Other particles such as RADGravitons and gluons also have no mass. Gravitons are able to travel at the speed of light, while gluons typically exist inside nuclei and do not travel far. All of these particles are considered massless because they have no rest mass. However, it should be noted that photons do have a type of mass, known as relativistic mass.
  • #1
RAD4921
347
1
I know photons have no mass but are there other particles that have no mass and if so can they travel at the speed of light?
Thanks RAD
 
Last edited:
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  • #2
Gravitons (yet to be discovered?) and gluons (strong nuclear force carrier) have no mass. Gravitons travel at the speed of light. Gluons (in ordinary circumstances) exist inside nuclei, so they don't travel much.
 
  • #3
and, if they travel at speed, c, they got to have no rest mass (which is what we mean by "massless"). photons actually do have mass, namely:

[tex] m = \frac{E}{c^2} = \frac{h \nu}{c^2} [/tex]

just no "rest mass" a.k.a. "invariant mass".
 

Related to Do all massless particles travel at the speed of light?

1. What are massless particles?

Massless particles are particles that have no rest mass. This means that they travel at the speed of light and have no resistance to acceleration.

2. How are massless particles different from particles with mass?

Massless particles, such as photons, have no rest mass and travel at the speed of light, while particles with mass have a rest mass and travel at speeds less than the speed of light.

3. What is the significance of the speed of light in relation to massless particles?

The speed of light, also known as c, is a fundamental constant that applies to all particles, including massless particles. It is the maximum speed at which anything can travel in the universe.

4. How are massless particles involved in the theory of relativity?

Massless particles, such as photons, are crucial to the theory of relativity as they travel at the speed of light and have no rest mass. This means they are not affected by the forces that act on particles with mass, making them useful for studying space and time.

5. Can massless particles be created or destroyed?

According to the theory of relativity, energy and mass are interchangeable, meaning that massless particles can be created from energy and vice versa. However, they cannot be destroyed as they have no rest mass to begin with.

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