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GTOzoom
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One area of quantum theory/special relativity that I have a HUGE issue with, is the wave-particle duality of light. I firmly believe that a photon is a particle and that some fundamental force is acting on it causing it to behave as a wave. From the little I've read into string theory it sounds like we are at least on the path to explaining this phenomenon.
My question is about the relativistic mass of a photon. When an atom jumps down to it's ground state it releases a photon of energy [tex]E=\frac{hc}{\lambda}[/tex]. Since relativity relates energy to 'mass' wouldn't that make a photon have some kind of 'mass' dependent on its energy? I understand that theoretically a photon has a rest mass of zero and that because [tex]E^2=p^2c^2+m^2_0 c^4[/tex] that the photon has momentum but not mass, but since it has no rest mass wouldn't that also set it's momentum to zero? [tex]p=\frac{m_0 v}{\sqrt{1-\frac{v^2}{c^2}}}[/tex] or in that case would the momentum equation's rest mass be equal to it's relativistic mass?
I have one more question that is related to my last question. Suppose that you are a rocket traveling at 3/4c. [tex]m=\sqrt{1+\frac{v^2}{c^2}}m_0 [/tex]. Where is the added mass? Is it distributed along the outside of the nose of the rocket like some sort of plasma surrounding it? Is it in the middle of the rocket? Is the added mass actually just excited atoms that cause it to appear to be heavier? Is the added mass affected by gravity? electromagnetism? aerodynamics?
Also, I have heard about the concept of energy density, would anybody like to elaborate on what that is and if it relates?
That should be more than enough questions for on night. Thanks in advance for any help!
My question is about the relativistic mass of a photon. When an atom jumps down to it's ground state it releases a photon of energy [tex]E=\frac{hc}{\lambda}[/tex]. Since relativity relates energy to 'mass' wouldn't that make a photon have some kind of 'mass' dependent on its energy? I understand that theoretically a photon has a rest mass of zero and that because [tex]E^2=p^2c^2+m^2_0 c^4[/tex] that the photon has momentum but not mass, but since it has no rest mass wouldn't that also set it's momentum to zero? [tex]p=\frac{m_0 v}{\sqrt{1-\frac{v^2}{c^2}}}[/tex] or in that case would the momentum equation's rest mass be equal to it's relativistic mass?
I have one more question that is related to my last question. Suppose that you are a rocket traveling at 3/4c. [tex]m=\sqrt{1+\frac{v^2}{c^2}}m_0 [/tex]. Where is the added mass? Is it distributed along the outside of the nose of the rocket like some sort of plasma surrounding it? Is it in the middle of the rocket? Is the added mass actually just excited atoms that cause it to appear to be heavier? Is the added mass affected by gravity? electromagnetism? aerodynamics?
Also, I have heard about the concept of energy density, would anybody like to elaborate on what that is and if it relates?
That should be more than enough questions for on night. Thanks in advance for any help!
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