The second part to this question is, can a photon be observed perpendicularly or as it passes across a line of observation?
2006-07-05 14:26:31 · 8 answers · asked by Pablo Fujita 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
No, a photon is a discrete amount of energy traveling in the form of an electromagnetic wave, (that is, a magnetic wave and an electric wave traveling 180 degrees out of phase and perpendicular to each other) and it is therefore impossible to "split" a photon into a smaller component. However, if the photon is absorbed by an atom, that atom could then emit two photons, each of lower energy, that together equal the amount of energy in the original photon. By the way, the amount of energy in a photon is inversely related to its wavelength, so the higher the energy of the photon, the shorter the wavelength is. This means that a photon of red light, with a wavelength of 700 nanometers has less energy than that of blue light, which is around 380 nanometers.
As for your second question, a photon cannot be observed in any other fashion than directly measuring its attributes as it passes through a measuring device. To put it another way, it can only be measured through its interactions with matter.
One could observe a characteristic of the photon, such as its polarization by passing it through a polarizer and then observing whether or not a photon is detected on the other side of the polarizer, but to observe the photon, you still have to either have it enter a detector, or hit a surface from which it can be reflected and observed by other means (such as your eye)
2006-07-05 14:46:22 · answer #1 · answered by tpjunkie 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hi Pablo Fujita
1st question:
A photon doesn't have component parts. It's the quantum of the electromagnetic field. However you may hear of a special process whereby in the presence of a strong magnetic field a photon can undergo a process called photon splitting, where a single photon decays or splits into n photons (usually n=2).
2nd question:
Photons are quantum particles, so they can only be "observed" by interaction. In other words, to detect a photon you have to interact with it, eg it has to hit a detector (eg your retina).
Hope this helps!
The Chicken
2006-07-05 21:50:24 · answer #2 · answered by Magic Chicken 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually, it can, in a way. A. H. Compton discovered that when x-rays impinge on an object, lower frequency (longer wavelength) x-rays can be emitted. The original photon interacts with an electron, giving it some of its energy, and the energy that is left is in the form of a less-energetic photon.
As to the second part of your question, no, you can't detect a photon as it passes by -- it has to interact with matter in some manner to be seen.
2006-07-06 03:48:00 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No way! Sure, you can cut up a photon, but then everything's too dark to do any observing.
2006-07-05 22:31:46 · answer #4 · answered by obrian93 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
right now, a photon can not be divided into smaller parts. hopfully, in the near future, they might find smaller parts
2006-07-05 22:43:16 · answer #5 · answered by Rajan 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nope- Hiesenberg Principal kicks in
2006-07-12 19:54:11 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, light is not matter that can be subdivided and it doesn't have components. It is a wave.
2006-07-05 21:43:44 · answer #7 · answered by Poncho Rio 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no
2006-07-05 22:13:25 · answer #8 · answered by wizard 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋