2007-02-24 14:07:16 · 4 answers · asked by Buck BUCK 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Photons are electromagnetic waves. The frequency of the electromagnetic wave determines where in the spectrum it falls - from radio waves, to visible light, to gamma rays. It is caused when an electron changes its state around the nucleus. This causes the electron to emit a photon equal to the difference in energy between the two states.
2007-02-24 14:29:17 · answer #1 · answered by Twizard113 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
EM waves don't produce photons. Both the EM waves and the photon particles are different ways of thinking about the same thing...light. Light is really neither a wave nor a particle, but these things are just concepts that are used to describe it and predict its behavior. Neither the wave picture nor the particle picture of light can completely account for its behavior in every situation. Only when taken together can these two "complimentary concepts" completely predict experimental outcomes in various situations. At least thats what quantum mechanics says. :D
2007-02-24 22:23:52 · answer #2 · answered by Link 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
photons ARE electromagnetic radiation. The quanta (or packets of energy) of the particle description of EM radiation are particles, ie photons. This is part of the wierdness of the quantum world, EM radiation is both a wave and a particle. Its called wave-particle duality and is basically the foundation of quantum mechanics, and as such the basics of modern physics and many other science fields. I've attached a link on wave-particle duality.
2007-02-24 22:22:31 · answer #3 · answered by Beach_Bum 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They don't produce photons, they are photons!
2007-02-24 22:54:59 · answer #4 · answered by Roman Soldier 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋