Find solution
What is a photon exactly?

My question is what makes a photon to move in a particular direction and does the photon speed or velocity at?

  • my question is what makes a photon to move in a particular direction and does the photon speed or velocity at the time of its birth is same as the speed of light?

  • Answer:

    The long answer is mostly correct. The photon is mass-less so it always moves at the speed of light, but it moves at the speed of light in the material where it is located which is less than that in a vacuum. So a photon "born" of heating in iron moves for a tiny, tiny fraction of a second at the speed of light in iron, then at the speed of light in air, and unless absorbed which most are, at the speed of light in the vacuum of space. Also, they change direction as they move from material to material - according to the ratio of the indexes of refraction, which is related to the two light speeds and the angle of attack at the interface.

farida at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

Was this solution helpful to you?

Other answers

Photons are "born" in a reaction with other subatomic particles, usually electrons bound to an atom. That reaction must conserve energy and momentum, and that determines the energy and direction of the photon. There's a certain amount of quantum uncertainty involved in the birth process. It's not really possible to assign an exact instant to the origin of a photon or to say whether it's traveling at the speed of light or not --- the electromagnetic field will thrash around erratically for a while in the vicinity of the particles and eventually a photon is spit out.

cosmo

try using your penis

Awew

Related Q & A:

Just Added Q & A:

Find solution

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.