If photons lack spatial dimensions, how is it that they...?

Question

are located in space? How can we observe photons traveling from point A to point B?

In other words, how is it possible for a photon with no spatial dimensions to be located in space, or be said to stand in some relation to other objects in space? Is having "no spatial dimensions" the same as being "not located in space?"

How does science account for this? I know this is a tall order for an online forum, so I would love it if someone could direct me to a reliable source that would address this question.

Will someone at least tell me why I'm not getting any answers? This isn't a homework thing, and I'm not currently in school -- I'm just a curious idiot. Please, even the name of a good book, or where I can find a scholarly article on this topic would be greatly appreciated.

Prof. Zikzak, if you're still on-line, can you point me in the direction of some good reading material?

Answer 1

The photon is a quantum of electromagnetic energy. It's not clear that it's even meaningful to speak of its physical dimensions. Its location at a given time is specified (within the limits of quantum uncertainty) by spatial coordinates. The only way you can detect a photon is for the photon to be annihilated by imparting its energy to something else, like a rod cell in your eye.

You can study electromagnetism and optics to understand the behavior of photons collectively as light. But to begin to understand individual photons, you need quantum mechanics, and that's quite difficult. I'm not sure any human, living or otherwise, had an intuitive feel for it. Probably all scientists would agree it doesn't make sense, but it works.

Sometimes the people capable of answering questions like this are doing things other than Yahoo Answers. Sometimes even scientists like to eat and to watch football.

Answer 2

Spacial points and dimensions are two separate things. Think back to geometry, imagine you have a graph in-front of you. You can put a 'point' and any coordinate, so you know where it is, no matter how small (size-less in the case of photons). Dimensions represent the volume of an object (how big it is). So as I understand it, photons can be in an exact location through coordinates, even though they have no size.

Answer 3

The word atheist potential 'somebody who would not have faith in any God' - we've no different characteristics in difficulty-loose. Whoever claimed that all and sundry atheists are unfamiliar with bigger dimensional maths? some human beings extremely take exhilaration in maths. maximum human beings do no longer think of that's polite or suited habit to do the two maths or masturbation in a public talk board - yet I digress. You look to have made some blunders in terms of excellent judgment, a branch of maths that's no longer properly taught interestingly. there is no reason given to think of that -any- unseen measurement is nearly religious than the three that we do see. this is a non sequitur fallacy on your argument. You postulate that we can't see the religious measurement using fact our physique isn't yet component of it - yet you have no longer provided any evidence for that unproven supposition. the actuality we can think of better dimensional math would not in any way set up that any bigger measurement has an intrinsic components this is same to a spiritual nature. Your mind's eye isn't an alternative choice to truly arithmetic. what's asserted devoid of evidence would as actual be rejected devoid of attention. in case you are able to no longer grant evidence we can in basic terms reject your baseless claims as invalid in terms of excellent judgment. you have did no longer grant a solid argument using fact even multidimensional good judgment demands that we draw regularly occurring conclusions from particular examples, or on the different hand draw conclusions from valid definitions and/or agreed axioms that have till now been given.