Light is it Wave or Particle?

Question

Debunked again

We are told that light is both particle and wave.
Rubbish.
My theory is light is only a wave and not a particle.
It is as follows.
photons are nothing more than pieces of the same wave.
note I never say photons are particles only waves.
to create a wave of light all you do is shine a torch correct.
But what is happening here.
well we have a battery a light bulb , when we throw the switch electrons flow from negative to positive through the bulb filiment.
This energy is transformed into heat and radiation
The electromagnetic radiation light is only an oscillation of the fabric of the universe at a frequency we see, its a bit like holding a large coil spring between your hands, shake one side of the spring and a wave flows along the spring, however cut the spring and the wave stops. I believe that light requires the fabric of the universe to travel and that it does not produce its own wave in effect its only an Excitation of the fabric of the universe.

Answer 1

Awww, cmon y'all. Don't be jealous, he is trying :P. You don't wanna end up like einsteins teacher who said that he was going to be a total failure and what happend :P, einstein wtfpwnt him being the best physicist ever.


No1's saying that light is a wave or a particle, we are saying (because we don't have the capability to "see" whats really going on) that it behaves like both :). There isnt many facts in physics, theyre all just models, we don't even know where gravity comes from. It's just out of our limits to explain that, maybe we need one more eye or two arms nawmean.

Light behaves like a wave and a particle, its a model, because it shows the sings of both wave and particle.

Answer 2

Your theory is debunked by the Photoelectric effect. Study it to understand why: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photoelectric

Also, you might want to explain why a light beam spreads out, something that a wave would not do, but particles do.

Further, experiments show that light energy changes with frequency. That is not possible from a wave description which predicts energy would change with intensity.

Oops. Sorry, no Nobel for you here. Better try again.

Advice: You really should try to learn the existing material first, before you attempt to improve on it.

Answer 3

yeah that "fabric of the universe" was called the ether and it was the only thing Einstein ever admitted to being wrong about. Light obviously is its own force-carrying particle and doesn't require any medium. The illustration you supplied is that of a compressional wave, which functions differently than the wave-like behavior of light. The duality of light has been proven over and over again, it is senseless to try to debunk it. If you want proof that photons are particles, you only have to look at photoelectric cells, bioluminescence, or a CRT monitor, none of which can be explained with a wave-only definition of light.

Answer 4

So, I guess you didn't realize that physicists stopped having the debate over whether light was a wave OR a particle quite some time ago, right? Granted, it used to be one of the biggest arguments in physics, but not any longer.

It has been demonstrated, repeatedly, that photons exhibit characteristics of both. And that the behavior observed is dependent on the measurement technique.

Answer 5

Light is a self propogating electomagnetic field. In a vacuum, it propogates at exactly the speed needed to continually recreate itself. Strangely enough, its speed is the same in all linear frames of reference. It does not need any background or "ether" as it has been previously called. The ether has been discredited.

Light has particle properties. Light appears to travel in a straight line. Light is bent by gravitational fields. Light has momentum.

Light has wave properties. Light has a frequency. Light is diffracted by screens and gratings, around obstacles, and through holes.

To insist that light is a wave or a particle is as small minded as the 14 blind men in the fable each insisting that an elephant is like a wall, a tree, a leaf, or anything else in their limited experience. Our macroscopic terms and observations can easily fail at the quantum level. Light exists in discrete quantized packets, called photons. These distinct units exhibit both wave and particle properties.

Answer 6

As an after thought.
The British Nobel laureate J. J. Thompson conducted experiments that suggested the wave like properties of light at the end of the 19th century.
His son G. P. Thompson received the 1937 Nobel prize for his experimental work that suggested the particle like properties of light.
Imagine them at the breakfast table!

Check out the link for the argument
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wave-particle_duality

Answer 7

Light exists as discrete (quantized) massless energy packets. The energy of each packet, since they all travel at the same speed, is determined by frequency. Although they have no mass, they have momentum. Your time would be put to better use studying what is already known. Start with the Michelson-Morley interferometer and how it was used to debunk the notion of an "ether."

Answer 8

fabric of the universe? you mean like "ether"? what is your basis for this fabric of the universe? is it mere space, or a certain substance that makes up the whole universe including space? how can you explain the photoelectric effect? the double slit experiment? or the discoveries in particle accelerators? how can photons have a momentum at the same time have a frequency?

Answer 9

Hey, I love this game, can I join in?

My theory is... Light is made of tiny little microscopic eels that wriggle in waves across the silky fabric of the universe. Oh yeah, electromagnetism... well they must be electric eels.

Answer 10

Light is either a particle or wave, since it dependent on the phenomenon being observed... for example in general relativity, light bends due to gravitational force by massive body, light is particle. In case of propagation of light and interference, its wave nature will best explain it... If you stand on your belief and neglecting others, you become vain, and close minded. these are not the way of wisdom...
In some way you are right, that light is wave based on the things you observed, its your opinion...but things must be proven before we can say its really true...I know you are that eager to find truth about this, go for it!