2006-08-01 14:18:36 · 4 answers · asked by Willem V 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
They are called 'virtual' simply because we cannot see them directly, but we can see their secondary influence, so we know they are there.
A virtual photon only exists for a short time while transferring energy between particles but it is never released as a free photon we might see later. It's not released freely into the infinite void of space like regular photons, rather, their existence is revealed indirectly by the behaviour of the particles they influence even though we can't see them directly.
A virtual particle is analogous to an invisible man in the snow. You can't see him directly, but you can see his footprints when he moves, so you know he's there.
2006-08-03 12:49:54 · answer #1 · answered by Jay T 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is the field-theoretical object which allows you to explain the Coulomb force in terms of the photon picture. In terms of the equations, it looks like a photon, but it violates the conservation of energy over its (extremely short) existence.
2006-08-01 22:13:07 · answer #2 · answered by Benjamin N 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi. Answers.com says "A subatomic particle whose existence violates the principle of conservation of energy but is allowed to exist for a short time by Heisenberg's uncertainty principle." Just like the virtual particles that form and disappear almost instantly. (If this happens near a "black hole" and one particle is captured the other can escape. This is "Hawking Radiation".)
2006-08-01 21:27:14 · answer #3 · answered by Cirric 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
maybe it'll help if you search the web a li'l.
2006-08-01 22:27:28 · answer #4 · answered by confused seeker... 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋