A photon is an example of a massless particle. Presumably a particle describes a body of a finite size. So how can a particle be massless.
2006-11-06 08:20:39 · 8 answers · asked by spoon_bender001 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Photons and gluons are massless particles. Several other massless particles have been hypothesized but not confirmed.
Elementary particles have a probabilistically distributed location that engenders wavelength. The wavelength of a particle is inversely proportional to its energy.
Particles with mass can only approach the speed of light. Particles without mass can only propagate at the speed of light.
2006-11-06 08:45:39 · answer #1 · answered by Deep Thought 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mass is a measure of how something is influenced by gravity, and also a measure of how a body accelerates when a force is applied to it.
Strictly speaking, the correct question is "Why does anything have mass?". Physics has yet to show conclusively why anything should. At the moment, it is treated as an intrinsic property of each fundamental particle - just something to be measured and labelled. A photon doesn't have mass. The best and most honest answer is that we don't know why - it just doesn't.
A particle can have volume, or a distributed location (as you've specified) and still not have mass - the two aren't necessarily connected.
2006-11-06 12:39:41 · answer #2 · answered by dm_cork 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Correct the photon has no mass. Evidence for this is quite
substantial.
The other massless particles are gluons and gravitions.
Though gravitions have never been detected but only
assumed to exist from the theory.
The only other candiate were the neutrinos, but they
were confirmed to have a mass in experiments from the
late 1990's onwards.
In terms of what are these particles that have zero mass,
but do have energy.....well its remains open.....
2006-11-06 08:51:46 · answer #3 · answered by Jim C 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They haven't yet proven that there is a massless particle. That is one of the things they are trying to prove with the latest particle accelerator in europe. Supposedly if they prove this they will also be able to determine if there really is 9 dimensions or only 4.
But ya if a particle has no mass, and therefore no energy, what exactly is it?
2006-11-06 08:29:59 · answer #4 · answered by M.B. 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Simply stated, "massless particle" is a somewhat confusing phrase, in so much as electromagnetic energy is transmitted in discrete packets, often referred to as particles. These packets, or light quanta, are massless and have no electric charge.
Like all quanta, light exhibits both wave and particle properties - hence, the term, particle.
Good question.
2006-11-06 08:59:44 · answer #5 · answered by LeAnne 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well it was always my understanding that photon wasn't determined to be a particle but may be a wave. It has certain characteristic of being both a particle and a wave. I.E. Defraction, refraction and refraction is wave-like behaviour and its discrete energy level is characteristic of a particle
2006-11-07 03:51:20 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
they have the idea of photo voltaic Sails, to apply the "Stellar Wind" from the solar and go back and forth places. notwithstanding it takes a lengthy time period for any form of Momentum to be generated plus there is the aspect of slowing down once you stand as a lot as speed. . .
2016-10-16 07:51:57 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i no wta u mean lol
here's a site i found with a reli good scientific explanation...
http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/jan2002/1011285645.Ph.r.html
hope it helps!!!!
xxxxxxxxxxx
tokio-hotel-lover
2006-11-06 08:30:28 · answer #8 · answered by nynana 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋