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mkhan
Joined: 18 Mar 2007
Posts: 192
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 19 Apr 2008 4:12 A very basic Physics quest |
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Hi Friends,
Is light wave or particle?
Cheers~
MAK
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flatulent
Joined: 19 Jul 2002
Posts: 4858
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Location: Middle Earth
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| 19 Apr 2008 4:44 Re: A very basic Physics quest |
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This has been the question for 80 or more years. There was a famous experiment a long time ago where a double slit interference pattern was done with such low light levels that only one photon every few seconds would go through a slit. The wave-like interference pattern resulted.
The question was, "How did each photon know about the other photons and select which part of the camera film to go to?"
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Ignacius
Joined: 25 Apr 2008
Posts: 1
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| 25 Apr 2008 0:53 Re: A very basic Physics quest |
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In an experiment about the light I and my team of research have verified a new phenomenon of interference of the light, that we have called "Interference of photons in the free space".
The design of optical bank and the new structure of photons are visible in: http://www.dnth.org/ (\Italiano\Ricerche scientifiche\Documenti\Interfernza fotonica nello spazio libero).
According to DNTH theory, the real photon is that showed above.
Sorry for my bad English. Ignacius.
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paulys
Joined: 01 May 2008
Posts: 5
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| 01 May 2008 12:58 Re: A very basic Physics quest |
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| both of them. there is no other answer at the time.
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electronicman
Joined: 07 Nov 2004
Posts: 60
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| 01 May 2008 14:15 Re: A very basic Physics quest |
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the is both of them because the light has some wave and particle properities , it behaves like a wave somtimes and like particle in another time.
(this question takes a lot of physics get puzzeled for a long time until they convinced the light is both of them)
Thanks
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anugrajiv
Joined: 08 Feb 2008
Posts: 2
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| 13 May 2008 7:00 Re: A very basic Physics quest |
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light has a dual nature--both wave and particle
this was proved long back
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m_pourfathi
Joined: 07 Feb 2008
Posts: 174
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| 13 May 2008 11:33 Re: A very basic Physics quest |
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| I believe from Quantum physics view, light is a mixture of energy and particle. It changes from one to another. So it gives it some properties of both concepts. I know it's a bit weird! It's just too abstract to be understood easily. But in terms of mathematics and Quantum physics it is completely understandable, It's hard to imagine the existence of a thing in such form! If you know the basics of Quantum Physics it will be easy for you to understand it.
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KAEL41
Joined: 17 Apr 2008
Posts: 9
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| 15 May 2008 22:44 Re: A very basic Physics quest |
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both is wave and particle is de duality of the ligh and one of the most amazing topics in the physics because is incredible.
the explanation is in a course osfphysicsIII and electromagnetic theory
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JoKKeR
Joined: 14 Feb 2008
Posts: 27
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| 16 May 2008 18:59 A very basic Physics quest |
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light is both i guess they are moving by waves and also light is a photon. its a very basic particle, like electron i guess.
and yea light in moving in waves coz the length is what make us see it.
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z_ghadiani
Joined: 12 May 2008
Posts: 14
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| 21 May 2008 14:43 Re: A very basic Physics quest |
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nice and very common question.
Any one knows from quantum mechanics that all particles are waves also. But macroscopic particles are just a large scale approximation of quantum mechanical wave packets.
Thus my answer to your question is: Light is indeed wave and photon particles are just a macroscopic approximation of light.
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donkey41
Joined: 19 Feb 2002
Posts: 90
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| 21 May 2008 17:58 Re: A very basic Physics quest |
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hello there,
the wave nature of light is clear ..
but can anyone please tell me, why do we say that light (also) behaves like particles ?
which experiment did explain its particle nature ?
thx.
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forkschgrad
Joined: 06 Apr 2007
Posts: 293
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Location: Philippines
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| 21 May 2008 19:11 Re: A very basic Physics quest |
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| both i guess but not yet proven.
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donkey41
Joined: 19 Feb 2002
Posts: 90
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| 21 May 2008 21:45 Re: A very basic Physics quest |
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afaik, it has been observed that light has got its path bent when it has a very massive object near its path, object like a super massive star (or galaxy ?).
a dumb question for a physicist, but .. is this explanation enough to prove that light has a particle nature?
i mean, light got its path bent in refraction too !
black-hole thing seems enough to prove this theory, but if we forget the black-holes for a moment , then ?
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halls
Joined: 12 Nov 2007
Posts: 74
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Location: Basque Country
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| 22 May 2008 11:12 Re: A very basic Physics quest |
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| donkey41 wrote: |
| i mean, light got its path bent in refraction too ! |
There is a little difference. Refraction happens when light propagation changes from one material to another one, thus changing the propagation velocity.
Light bending due to massive stars happen in vacuum, so propagation velocity doesn't change due to a medium change.
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donkey41
Joined: 19 Feb 2002
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| 22 May 2008 23:38 Re: A very basic Physics quest |
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| halls wrote: |
There is a little difference. Refraction happens when light propagation changes from one material to another one, thus changing the propagation velocity.
Light bending due to massive stars happen in vacuum, so propagation velocity doesn't change due to a medium change. |
i think, there is not always an absolute vacuum in space.
in the following is how i understand the bent of light path
space near a star or galaxy can be polluted with electrons, protons, neutrons, hydrogen atoms etc. etc.
we can safely call this a denser medium than absolute vacuum.
according to my understanding, that's the reason, why light gets 'bent' (because of my hypothetical polluted denser medium, whose density is changed proportionally with distance from star or galaxy) and not changes its path to a certain fixed angle in a straight line, like in a prism.
i can well be absolutely wrong .. please guide me.
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laktronics
Joined: 06 Jan 2007
Posts: 787
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| 23 May 2008 22:16 Re: A very basic Physics quest |
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Hi,
Yah, I think the photons are there every where in the universe, not only in the visible light, but in the whole range of Electromagnetic waves. I would like to call them 'EMtons' to generalise the name for the entire Electro Magnetic spectrum. They must be sticking to all basic particles including electrons and when they are released, they travel in groups as waves at the speed of light. The light waves carry photons just like waves in the ocean carry water molecules.
Regards,
Laktronics
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omid110
Joined: 24 May 2008
Posts: 2
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| 24 May 2008 7:41 Re: A very basic Physics quest |
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you must see quantum mechanics and modern physics books.
in some experiments, light acts as a particle (such as photoelectric effect, kampton effect ....) and it acts as wave in some experiments (such as diffraction)
So you must know your problem.
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watermelon
Joined: 08 May 2007
Posts: 77
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| 24 May 2008 9:13 Re: A very basic Physics quest |
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Ample explanations and links about light
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light
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echo47
Joined: 07 Apr 2002
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smab1176
Joined: 28 May 2008
Posts: 1
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| 30 May 2008 8:11 Re: A very basic Physics quest |
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| basically light waves are dual in nature and thus they are treated as waves in some cases and as particles in other cases like light is considered waves in the phenomenas like interference and diffraction and considered as particles in cases like photo-electric effect and Compton effect etc
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zirtapoz
Joined: 25 Dec 2007
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| 30 May 2008 9:14 Re: A very basic Physics quest |
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| Theory of electromagnetic says acceletration cause radiation. So if electrons accelerated they may radiate as waves at any frequency(including mentioned light) So; why we need virtual photons? i think we have analyse deeply on behavior of waves on vacum or any media.
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laktronics
Joined: 06 Jan 2007
Posts: 787
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| 30 May 2008 9:54 Re: A very basic Physics quest |
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Hi,
Yes, I also believe acceleration is the key since Direct Current does not radiate, radiation takes place only when there is a cahange of voltage and it may not be virtual photons but real photons that are released from electrons when they are distorted under acceleration.
Regards,
Laktronics
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Kral
Joined: 28 Mar 2005
Posts: 977
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| 05 Jun 2008 22:00 Re: A very basic Physics quest |
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mkhan,
Visit this "Dr Quantum" site, as suggested by umery2k75 in an earlier post. It's informative and entertaining and will shed some light on this topic.
. http://youtube.com/watch?v=DfPeprQ7oGc
Regards,
Kral
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jecyhale
Joined: 19 Feb 2008
Posts: 402
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Location: China
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| 07 Jun 2008 16:05 Re: A very basic Physics quest |
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| I believe it is wave and particle at the same time.
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syrien
Joined: 11 Jun 2008
Posts: 1
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| 11 Jun 2008 10:30 Re: A very basic Physics quest |
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There is a movie called "what the bleep do we know" which explains quantum physics basics and also shows experiments done with electrons instead of photons.
They shoot electrons one by one through a very small gap to a screen and it still shows a wave pattern and yet it can be shot onto a screen like a particle.
It does or at least try to explain it and many other subjects about quantum physics.
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