If light is a stream of photons……..?

Question

….and light is just part of the electro-magnetic spectrum, does that mean that all EM radiation is made up of photons?

When reading about photons, I only recall them being mentioned in relation to light. If they are only peculiar to that tiny part of the EMR spectrum, I am confused.

Thanks guys. Not sure why I didn't know that. Perhaps because my physics is 40 years old.

Answer 1

Good question. Electromagnetic radiation can be described in terms of a stream of photons, which are massless particles each traveling in a wave-like pattern and moving at the speed of light. Each photon contains a certain amount (or bundle) of energy, and all electromagnetic radiation consists of these photons. The only difference between the various types of electromagnetic radiation is the amount of energy found in the photons..

Answer 2

Yes all Electro-magnetic radiation is composed of photons. Regardless of the wavelength, from the very short, high energy, x-rays, through the visible spectrum to the long low energy radio waves. And yes they also behave as both a particle and a wave at the same time. They have no mass and yet they have momentum. They can be rather confusing, but that's quantum physics for you. Sometimes you just have to see that it works even if the "why" of it doesn't make sense.

Answer 3

Indeed it does. But the photons from radio or television transmission are of very low energy, and as a result the wave properties of the radiation are much more important than the quantum-mechanical aspects.

Answer 4

Yes.
The discrete packets of energy in the EMS are photons, from long radio waves out to hard x-rays and beyond.

Wiki EMS

Answer 5

all EMR is photons, its just a term for the beam of energy