How does a massless photon impart force?

AI Thread Summary
Photons are massless particles that can still exert force through their momentum. When a photon interacts with an object, it transfers momentum, resulting in a change of momentum for that object, which is perceived as a force. This principle is fundamental to concepts like using lasers to propel spacecraft in deep space. The discussion highlights the importance of understanding photon momentum in physics. Overall, massless photons are capable of imparting force through their momentum transfer.
dev_c0t0d0s0
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I've been watching a lot of physics videos lately and a couple of said that photons are massless. What I don't understand is how a massless photon can impart force? Like the ideas of having a laser propel a deep space probe.
 
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dev_c0t0d0s0 said:
how a massless photon can impart force
A Massless object can still have Momentum. It is the Momentum of a Photon that imparts a change of Momentum (i.e. a force) on an object that it hits.
 

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