What do photons carry information about?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the nature of photons and the information they carry, particularly in the context of electromagnetic fields and their interactions with light. The subject area includes concepts from electromagnetism, optics, and relativity.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to connect photons to the electric and magnetic fields that produce them, considering their role as force carriers. They also explore the idea that photons convey information about color and shape based on their interactions with objects. Other participants introduce concepts such as polarity, polarization, and various phenomena related to light, including interference and diffraction.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants contributing various ideas and concepts related to the original question. Some guidance has been offered regarding additional aspects to consider, such as polarization and specific optical phenomena, but there is no explicit consensus on a singular interpretation of what photons carry information about.

Contextual Notes

Participants are building on a non-mathematical understanding of relativity and electromagnetism, which may influence the depth of their exploration into the topic.

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hey, I am in a course that's building special and general relativity with logic and is non mathematical. I have done some E&M before and covered maxwell's equations...

the question that I am trying to answer is "what do photons carry information about"?

my quick response was the electric and magnetic fields that produce them. and since they are the force carriors of the E&M force they carry information about the strength and direction of these fields...

can you guys help me build on that? or add something to it I haven't. I am thinking about light, and well when you see colors they those photons carry information about the color of the object they were just in contact with or the shape of it...

am i on the right track?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
You didn't use the word "polarity".
 
i talked about fiber optics virtual photons and Mram... also included polarization. anything else you guys can think of?
 
Young's 2 slit (interference, diffraction), EPR, curvature of space demonstrated by bending of light from distant astronomical objects, emission and absortion lines in spectra...
 

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