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Manraj singh
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I have been wondering, how do photons make up light? Are they particles that travel in transverse waves? Or do they travel in longitudinal waves? Or do they travel in waves at all?
Drakkith said:First, forget everything you've ever heard about photons. It's misleading.
Consider the view that light is an electromagnetic wave. This view describes 99.9% of all properties you will ever encounter with light, including diffraction, refraction, and reflection. It is only when you look into how light interacts with matter that the "particle" properties come into play.
It turns out that EM waves only interacts with matter in specific amounts of energy at a time, an amount that depends on the frequency of the wave. The higher the frequency the higher the energy that the wave interacts with. This "packet" of energy is what we call a photon. This is different than the situation in a classical wave, in which energy is transferred continuously, not in packets.
So no, the photons are not traveling in waves. They are merely the way an EM wave interacts with matter. It is the EM wave itself that is doing all the moving and traveling and oscillating.
Nor electromagnetic field is like this.sophiecentaur said:You have to make a huge effort and not think of photons as little bullets - especially not 'wiggling bullets'.
Photons are tiny particles of energy that make up electromagnetic waves, including visible light. Lightwaves are a form of electromagnetic radiation that travels in a wave-like manner at the speed of light.
Photons exhibit properties of both particles and waves. They behave like particles in that they have a discrete amount of energy and can interact with matter, but they also exhibit wave-like properties such as diffraction and interference.
Photons are the fundamental particles that make up lightwaves. Lightwaves are made up of a stream of photons that travel together in a wave-like pattern.
Yes, photons and lightwaves can be measured using various instruments such as spectrometers or photometers. These instruments can detect the energy and wavelength of photons, as well as the intensity and frequency of lightwaves.
Understanding photons and lightwaves is crucial in fields such as optics, telecommunications, and quantum mechanics. It also allows us to better understand the nature of light and how it interacts with matter, leading to advancements in technology and scientific discoveries.