I understand that light energy may consist of photons that
altho may not have mass - they do leave a trace of some sort
that indicates light is not pure energy...?
2007-03-31 14:39:02 · 6 answers · asked by mickey the fox 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Light consists of photons. Photons are comprised of oscillating magnetic and electrical fields at 90 degs to each other and at 90 degs to the direction of propagation. In other words, you can think of a photon as a cross flying through space, with one leg being a magnetic field and the other being an electrical field, and both legs changing their lengths as the photon travels. These legs draw a four-direction sinusoidal wave pattern through space, and thus the photon has wave-like properties. Since both the magnetic and electrical field have a certain size, the photon also has particle-like properties (it comes in discrete units)
Anyway, neither a magnetic field nor an electrical field have mass, and these are the only components to a photon. Light IS pure energy, it is a massless particle. What you may be thinking of as a "trace of some sort" is that photons have momentum, but you can have momentum without having mass.
2007-03-31 14:57:00 · answer #1 · answered by sythyril 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you believe einsteins theory of relativity, it states that in order to reach the speed of light you must have 0 mass- so there for since light obvoiusly travels at the speed of light it has no mass. However, I think that light may have a very, very tiny, (think 1 amu X 10 to the -9999999 )amomunt of mass, because it is different than heat, which is pure energy and cannot be seen.
THere is also something about light waves and the visible spectrum, but i am a high school student and can't debate quantum physics.
2007-03-31 21:45:28 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It does seem to have some properties of particles. But like a previous person said it does travel at the speed of light. Perhaps it alternates between states and is some sort of particle for an infinitesimally small amount of time.
2007-03-31 21:52:01 · answer #3 · answered by bravozulu 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
remember that light is a particle and a wave. but it shouldnt have mass because the speed of light turns all mass into energy
2007-03-31 21:49:14 · answer #4 · answered by provi43 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Light is not mass, but rather energy. Mass is another form of energy.
2007-03-31 22:22:42 · answer #5 · answered by J Z 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not that we know of.
2007-03-31 21:43:39 · answer #6 · answered by cattbarf 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋