Please educate me on light/matter

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the relationship between light and matter, specifically the assertion that "light can be condensed into matter" and that "matter is a state that energy is in." Participants clarify that while photons can interact with matter, the term "condensed" is misleading. Matter is defined as having mass and volume, characteristics that light does not possess. The conversation highlights the importance of precise terminology in physics and the need for empirical evidence to support claims about the nature of light and matter.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic physics concepts, including energy and matter
  • Familiarity with photon behavior and particle-antiparticle pairs
  • Knowledge of definitions related to mass and volume in physics
  • Awareness of scientific terminology and its implications in discussions
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of quantum mechanics, focusing on photon interactions
  • Explore the concept of mass-energy equivalence as described by Einstein's theory
  • Study the processes of particle-antiparticle pair production in high-energy physics
  • Investigate the definitions and distinctions between matter and energy in physics
USEFUL FOR

Students of physics, educators, and anyone interested in the fundamental concepts of light and matter, particularly those seeking clarity on energy-matter relationships.

Pengwuino
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"Light can be condensed into matter"
"matter is a state that energy is in"

Someone please tell me those are wrong/right and explain :)
 
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Pengwuino said:
"Light can be condensed into matter"
"matter is a state that energy is in"
What do you mean by "condensed"? Photons, (light ?) are adsorbed by "matter" Is that what you mean?
Yes, Matter is a form of energy.
Someone please tell me those are wrong/right and explain :)

Really your question is so open ended that it is nearly impossible to answer. If you were to enter into a formal course of study you would still be getting answers to those questions after years of work, you seem to want cliff notes, or the 25 words or less version of a entire physics course.
 
Well actually some guy said those are true and I am just thinking "no no no, that's wrong" but i can't really figure why there wrong. He said light can be condensed and acted like it can be condensed just like you condense steam into water or air into LN and so on and so forth. Second one i was arguing that atoms have energy associated with them and that atoms "have energy". He said "no, Energy comes in the form of atoms" basically.
 
Pengwuino said:
Well actually some guy said those are true and I am just thinking "no no no, that's wrong" but i can't really figure why there wrong. He said light can be condensed and acted like it can be condensed just like you condense steam into water or air into LN and so on and so forth. Second one i was arguing that atoms have energy associated with them and that atoms "have energy". He said "no, Energy comes in the form of atoms" basically.

Well, a pair of sufficiently energetic photons can fom an electron-positron or other particle-antiparticle pair. But condensation really isn't the right word to describe this process. It's usually reserved for the specific case of a gas turning into a liquid.

If you think it's worthwhile arguing, you can ask your friend to describe an experiment that would distinguish between his statmenets and yours. His statements are really pretty vague, they don't actually say much.
 
I don't understand why there are all of these "is light matter" debates. By definition matter has 2 things: mass and volume. Light has neither. End of story.
 
There is no "debate" right now. You're responding to a thread that had its last activity in 2005!

Zz.
 

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