If the mass of a light particle can be known, does that mass vary with the wave length?
2007-12-29 19:23:14 · 4 answers · asked by Swamp Fox 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
All experiments designed to find a mass of the photon have shown that the photon has no mass within the ability of the detecting equipment to measure it; currently, we can rule out any photon mass greater than about 10^(-50)g, which is a really, really small number.
Photons have no mass, but do have momentum and carry energy. The amount of energy a photon carries varies with wavelength (the shorter the wavelength the greater the energy carried by the photon).
2007-12-29 22:27:21 · answer #1 · answered by kuiperbelt2003 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Photons do not have "rest mass" like you and I do because they are never at rest.
However E = mc^2 (which is a simplified form) and photons do have energy so while we can't really talk about mass of a photon, we don't really need to because all that is relevant can be talked about in terms of energy.
2007-12-30 03:51:52 · answer #2 · answered by minuteblue 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Light particles have no mass.
AS the mass does not exist it cannot vary with wave length..however the CLOUR of light varies with change in WAVELENGTH.
DIFFERENT CLOURS ARE DUE TO DIFF WLENGHTS.
2007-12-30 04:58:15 · answer #3 · answered by FAISAL 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Photons have no mass. That's why nothing can go faster than them in a vacuum.
2007-12-30 03:26:21 · answer #4 · answered by stage_poi 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋