Is there really no mass in photons?

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SUMMARY

Photons are massless particles that carry energy, as established by Einstein's equation E=mc², which illustrates the equivalence of mass and energy. Despite photons possessing energy, they do not have rest mass, which is a crucial distinction in physics. The energy of photons is related to their frequency and wavelength, but this does not confer mass upon them. Understanding this concept is essential for grasping the principles of quantum mechanics and electromagnetic radiation.

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  • Understanding of Einstein's equation E=mc²
  • Basic knowledge of quantum mechanics
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  • Concept of rest mass versus relativistic mass
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rlinsurf
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Please be gentle to a newbie question, and to my limited understanding of the subject.

E=Mc2 as I understand it means that there is an equivalency between Mass and Energy, that essentially, mass is energy, and so the more energy of one kind or another there is, the more mass there is.

In that case, since we know there are several kinds of energy in photons, how can they have no mass?

Thanks.
 
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Thanks. I think I got it.

All My
Jeffrey
 

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