Is it possible to charge photons?

In summary, Dave wanted to know if there was any way to electrically charge photons, but he was told that this was not possible. He then asks about other particles that carry charge, but is told that they are all different and cannot be added to photons.
  • #1
SeleneS
16
0
I was wondering if there is any way to electrically charge photons?
 
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  • #2
No.
 
  • #3
SeleneS said:
I was wondering if there is any way to electrically charge photons?
Do you understand what a photon IS?
 
  • #4
phinds said:
Do you understand what a photon IS?
Tell me phinds, what is a photon?
 
  • #5
SeleneS said:
Tell me phinds, what is a photon?

how about putting that question into google and doing some personal research :smile:
you will learn much more that wayDave
 
  • #6
davenn said:
how about putting that question into google and doing some personal research :smile:
you will learn much more that wayDave

I have my own but limited knowledge of photons, wanted to know what phinds knows as extra to make such a comment.
 
  • #7
SeleneS said:
I have my own but limited knowledge of photons, wanted to know what phinds knows as extra to make such a comment.

he's telling you that if you knew a little more ... even the basics of what photons are. Then you would not have asked your original question
as you would already known the answer was no

Dave
 
  • #8
davenn said:
he's telling you that if you knew a little more ... even the basics of what photons are. Then you would not have asked your original question
as you would already known the answer was no

Dave

What about W+ and W- bosons?
 
  • #9
what about them ?
 
  • #10
davenn said:
he's telling you that if you knew a little more ... even the basics of what photons are. Then you would not have asked your original question
as you would already known the answer was no

Dave
Thanks. I really should have spelled out that that was exactly what I was saying. I get too terse sometimes.
 
  • #11
You cannot give a fundamental particle a property it does not already have. We charge objects by increases or decreases the number of negative or positive charges making up an object, but we cannot add electrons or protons to a photon.
 
  • #13
Only certain particles carry charge: electron, muon, tau, quarks (sort of), and W bosons.
 
  • #14
SeleneS said:
I was wondering if there is any way to electrically charge photons?
A photon, by (one of the) definition, is a chargeless particle, among other properties; if it were charged, it wouldn't be a photon anylonger.

But you could have asked a more interesting question: "can we give a charge to a massless particle?"

--
lightarrow
 
  • #15
Cool question though. I liked it.
 
  • #16
SeleneS said:
What about W+ and W- bosons?

Can you give a rational explanation on why you are bringing up these particles when your original question was on photons? Are you implying that you do not know that these non-massless vector bosons are different than photons and so you are lumping them together in the same topic?

What people here are trying to figure out is what exactly do you know already. The way we try to help people understand stuff on this forum is to build up an understanding based on an existing foundation, i.e. what exactly have you understood and where exactly did you stop understanding. That is why you were asked if you know what a photon is, and to reveal that here. When we know what you know, then we can build new information ON TOP of that. Otherwise, we might easily tell you a bunch of stuff that you cannot comprehend and will go way above your head. Is this what you want?

And please, try to make some effort in clearly describing your question and more of what you had already done in attempting to answer it. Writing one-line questions or sentences one after another does not make it very clear. In this post alone, I've written MORE than all your post in this thread combined. If you wish to receive complete, well-thought out responses to your question, at the very least, you should put in a similar level of effort!

Zz.
 
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  • #17
Let's put this another way: Considering the length of your original post, I perceive that you were initiating a query (i.e. ask a quick question) as opposed to initiate a discussion. If you would like a discussion, we're going to need to know a little bit more about where you're coming from; where are you wanting to go with this information (i.e. how are you wanting to apply this information? what new thoughts are wanting to draw from this? simply put, what is your ultimate goal in learning more about this?). In us knowing this, maybe we can approach the question simultaneously from two different directions, and get the complete answer more quickly. Also, as ZapperZ mentioned, for your sake we want to try to keep from 'going over your head' using concepts you don't already understand or facts you don't already know, so we can provide links to explain those things as we go along and thus as a whole come more quickly to a unified understanding.
 
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1. Can photons be charged?

Yes, photons can be charged through a process called photon polarization, where the direction of the electric field of a photon is altered. This results in a charged photon with a net electric field.

2. How does photon polarization work?

Photon polarization occurs when a photon interacts with a charged particle or passes through a material with a magnetic field. The interaction causes the electric field of the photon to align in a specific direction, thus creating a charged photon.

3. What is the purpose of charging photons?

Charging photons can be useful in various applications, such as in the production of polarized light for microscopy, spectroscopy, and telecommunications. It can also help in studying the behavior of photons in different environments and materials.

4. Is charging photons a natural phenomenon?

Yes, charging photons can occur naturally in certain situations, such as in the auroras of Earth's atmosphere, where charged particles from the sun interact with the Earth's magnetic field, resulting in the polarization of photons.

5. Can photons be charged with both positive and negative charges?

Yes, photons can have both positive and negative charges, depending on the direction of their electric field after polarization. This is called circular polarization, where the electric field rotates in a circular motion, resulting in a charged photon with both positive and negative charges.

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