Isnt a wave a series of compresisons and expansions of a medium which is the vehicle of a traveling force?
2006-08-18 01:17:47 · 5 answers · asked by goring 6 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
The packet referes to a certain quantity of energy that electromagnetic waves consist of.
These "packets" energy are called photons with energy E=nhv for n=0,1,2...
h is Planck's constant and v the waves frequency.
This whole idea form the basis for quantum physics
2006-08-18 02:39:40 · answer #1 · answered by Stopwatch 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You are almost certainly talking about light waves and photons (since about half of your questions do, I can only assume this one is no different).
The Electromagnetic waves which make of light are a pair orthogonally positioned electric and magnetic fields which make up the (transverse....oscillation perpendicular to propagation) light wave.
Light does NOT require a medium in which to propagate, so trying to explain how a light wave moves by introducing a medium is incorrect.
Electromagnetic waves are self-propagating. Since they are made up of two moving fields (electric and magnetic), they can even travel through vacuum. The moving / "fluxing" electric field produces the magnetic field and then moving / "fluxing" magnetic field produces the electric field.
Every wave has an energy associated with it which is carried in discrete packets or "quanta" of energy called photons. The photon's energy (E) can be related in terms of the speed of light in a vacuum (c), the wavelength (λ), and Planks constant (h).
E = h * c / λ
h = 6.63 x10-34 J s / photon
c = 299,792,458 m/s
2006-08-18 04:28:19 · answer #2 · answered by mrjeffy321 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A wave packet is an envelope or packet containing an arbitrary number of wave forms.
2006-08-18 01:29:27 · answer #3 · answered by megalomaniac 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a wave packet is most commonly referring to a packet of electromagnetic energy called a photon.
2006-08-18 01:46:16 · answer #4 · answered by John S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
wave packet is a different way of describing photons. a different theory al together.
2006-08-18 06:49:16 · answer #5 · answered by ani 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋