I understand that light is a particle that acts like a wave,but what causes it to act like this?Is it some property of one of the fundamental forces?
2006-09-27 13:44:45 · 4 answers · asked by That one guy 6 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
It is a cause of the property referred to as quantum mechanics, dicscovered by Max Planck in the early 1900's. Up till then, people thought that all forms of electro-magnetic radiation--things like light and heat--were composed of energy "waves." But he discovered that these waves are indeed composed of discrete energy packets of finite size and power, called "quanta." So that's where you get the wave-particle duality: looks like a wave but is made from particles.
Picture this: drop some sand on a smooth surface. Then draw it with oyur finger or with a razor blade into a long thin arc, or a wave shape. You will then have what looks like a "wave" but it will really be made of particles.
2006-09-27 14:09:46 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
You're partially right. Because light IS electromagnetic radiation, it is because of this fundamental force that allows it some of its wave like characteristics. Electric and magnetic fields are at right angles to each other and where these esoteric field lines intersect they create nodes that cancels out each other thus giving it a wave like property.
Light is also a particle, because the electron orbitals in atoms will only absorb, or emit, specific amounts of photonic energy, or light. Thus it can be quantized into photons, although it has no mass.
2006-09-27 20:58:42 · answer #2 · answered by ohmneo 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
E=mc^2 basically means that mass and energy are interchangeable, in other words mass is energy and energy is mass. So particles, which are matter, can also act like waves, which is energy. It also relates to the uncertainty principle. There is an uncertainty associated with particles (like electrons) and that
uncertainty leads them to behave in their energy form - like a wave. If you remove the uncertainty, then they behave like particles.
2006-09-27 20:53:57 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
since you are the genius, why don't you tell me?
light is more so a wave that acts like a particle (because it's massless)
2006-09-27 20:49:10 · answer #4 · answered by danthemanbrunner 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋