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Burken
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We have talked about light behaving as a wave and a particle. Having trouble understanding what 'mediated' means in this context.
He does specifically ask for the meaning of "mediated" in this context. I didn't need to "guess' that.Vanadium 50 said:Can we please stop trying to guess what the OP means?
@Burken, can you please tell us where you say this?
Burken said:"It is now understood that those equations tell us that the electromagnetic force is actually mediated by light and that light is an electromagnetic wave". I do not understand the term "mediated" in this context.
Philip Koeck said:This is actually something I've been wondering about since my time at university. We were told that "virtual photons" are responsible for all electric and magnetic forces. I understand that photons are the energy parcels of all electromagnetic radiation and I don't think two charged objects send such radiation back and forth between them in order to attract each other. Is there some truth in this concept of virtual photons and, if so, is there some easy way of understanding what they actually are and how they differ from real photons?
Electromagnetic force is a fundamental force of nature that governs the interactions between electrically charged particles. It is responsible for the attraction and repulsion between particles and is the force behind many everyday phenomena, such as electricity, magnetism, and light.
Electromagnetic force is mediated by light through the exchange of virtual particles called photons. These photons are responsible for carrying the electromagnetic force between charged particles, allowing them to interact with each other.
Electric and magnetic fields are intimately connected in electromagnetic force. Changes in electric fields can create magnetic fields and vice versa, and both fields work together to create the force that governs the interactions between charged particles.
Electromagnetic force is unique in that it can act over long distances, unlike the other fundamental forces which have a limited range. It also has a different strength compared to the other forces, with electromagnetism being much stronger than gravity but weaker than the strong and weak nuclear forces.
Electromagnetic force has countless applications in our daily lives. It is responsible for the functioning of electronic devices, such as computers and smartphones, and is also used in medical imaging techniques like MRI scans. Electromagnetic force is also essential for generating and transmitting electricity, as well as for communication through radio waves and light signals.