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Gale
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Someone explain photons to me... please... I'm trying to imagine the whole massless particle thing... but i'd like a good definition of what a photon really is.
Originally posted by selfAdjoint
I'm going to stop now...
A photon is a fundamental particle that makes up light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation. It has zero mass and carries energy in the form of electromagnetic waves.
A photon travels in a straight line at the speed of light, which is approximately 299,792,458 meters per second in a vacuum. It can also travel through different mediums, such as air or water, but at a slower speed.
Photons are the carriers of energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation. The energy of a photon is directly proportional to its frequency, with higher frequency photons carrying more energy than lower frequency ones.
No, photons are not visible to the naked eye. They are much smaller than the wavelengths of visible light, so they cannot be seen without specialized equipment, such as a microscope or telescope.
Photons play a crucial role in photosynthesis, as they are the source of energy that is used by plants to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose. Chlorophyll molecules in plant cells absorb photons and use their energy to power the chemical reactions of photosynthesis.