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How can a photon exist if it has no mass? I've always found this concept hard to grasp. (Rhyming not intended)
tiny-tim said:Hi ScienceNerd36!
(erm… rhyming not achieved)
mass is energy, energy is mass
a photon does have mass
(it has no rest-mass, but why should that matter when a photon is never at rest?)
According to the theory of relativity, mass and energy are equivalent. Therefore, a photon, which is a form of energy, does not need mass to exist.
The speed of light is considered to be the maximum speed at which anything can travel. Since a photon has no mass, it does not need to accelerate and can travel at the speed of light naturally.
Yes, the lack of mass in a photon affects its behavior in several ways. For example, it allows a photon to move at the speed of light, travel in a straight line, and be unaffected by gravity.
No, since a photon has no mass, it cannot be affected by external forces such as gravity or friction. However, it can still interact with other particles through electromagnetic forces.
Extensive research and experiments, such as the Michelson-Morley experiment and the theory of relativity, have consistently shown that a photon has no mass. Additionally, the behavior and properties of a photon, such as traveling at the speed of light and being massless, further support this conclusion.