What exactly is the wavelength of a photon? Is it photons or E.M waves that are emitted from atoms? Do photons travel like a wave?
-
I know that the photon is a very small particle, but how does this particle have a wavelength. I'm use wavelengths of matter waves but I can't picture the wavelength of a particle. I know that there is a wave-particle, dual nature, so is it that energy released from atoms can be viewed as E.M waves or Photons?
-
Answer:
Adding to the current posts ... The energy of a photon of frequency f is E = hf Here the symbol h represents a physical quantity called Planck's constant. If energy is measured in Joules and the frequency (number of cycles per second in Hertz) h has the value 6.62606957(29)à 10^ -34 Js As Planck's constant is very small, the energy of a photon of visible light (having a frequency of about 10^14 Hertz) is also very small. Any kind of electromagnetic radiation (visible light, ultraviolet rays, infrared rays, X rays, radio waves, etc.) travels with the same speed c = 3 x 10^8 m/s in a vacuum. This speed is related to the frequency f and wavelength (crest to crest distance) λ via c = fλ Combining E = hf with c = fλ gives another formula for the energy of a photon in electromagnetic wave of wavelength λ: E = hc/ λ
Deepthi Amarasuriya at Quora Visit the source
Other answers
Photons are unusual things that have zero rest mass. As with other particles, they have the properties of a particle and the properties of a wave at the same time. You can use formula that explain the behavior of either and those formulas apply to photons. Their masslessness makes it much more apparent at a macro level than other particles. The wavelength of a photon varies with how energetic it is. There is no single wavelength, photons occur on all of the frequencies. This photon (when you choose to describe it as you would a wave) propagates like a wave, doing wave-like things, like diffraction or wave interference. Or you can describe it like a particle, shooting off in a line with a very high speed, emitted by atoms when the atoms change energy state. (Or do you want to describe that emitted energy as a wave, because you can.) So, in short answers to your questions: What exactly is the wavelength of a light? Any. Is it photons or E.M waves that are emitted from atoms? You can describe it either way and the formulas work. Does light travel like a wave? Yes, light travels like waves AND like particles. One problem here is you have some of the language a little confused. It is LIGHT that is describes as either EM Waves or as Photons. We normally use the term "photon" to indicate we are discussing light-as-a-particle. We use "EM Waves" or EM radiation to indicate we are discussing light-as-a-wave. Perhaps that will help you understand why the two are normally considered separately.
Todd Gardiner
Light has a dual nature. If you ask me is light a wave or particle I would say it is neither. I claim this because when you say sound is a wave or a billiard ball is particle you can describe both of the situations with the same particular set of equations for all of space and time. But there is no such single set of equations. When light travels it is best described by Maxwell's equations and when it interacts with matter it can be described by quantum mechanics. So basically light travels as a wave interacts like a particle. And to answer how can you associate wavelength to a photon I would say that the photon has some energy which can be said is proportional to the inverse of wavelength. So with a particular energy of photon you can assign a given wavelength. Thus from all the above things I mentioned it can be deduced that photons are emiited from atoms and then they travel as electromagnetic waves.
Anjishnu Bandyopadhyay
Related Q & A:
- What exactly is the job of a wildlife conservationist?
- What exactly do you do for a photography major in college?Best solution by Yahoo! Answers
- What is Frequency and Wavelength of a Ray?Best solution by pages.uoregon.edu
- What exactly is the job of a Sky Nanny?Best solution by Yahoo! Answers
- What exactly does an intern for a company do?Best solution by moneycrashers.com
Just Added Q & A:
- How many active mobile subscribers are there in China?Best solution by Quora
- How to find the right vacation?Best solution by bookit.com
- How To Make Your Own Primer?Best solution by thekrazycouponlady.com
- How do you get the domain & range?Best solution by ChaCha
- How do you open pop up blockers?Best solution by Yahoo! Answers
For every problem there is a solution! Proved by Solucija.
-
Got an issue and looking for advice?
-
Ask Solucija to search every corner of the Web for help.
-
Get workable solutions and helpful tips in a moment.
Just ask Solucija about an issue you face and immediately get a list of ready solutions, answers and tips from other Internet users. We always provide the most suitable and complete answer to your question at the top, along with a few good alternatives below.