By Cameron Bell. Photons are the discrete particles which light are made out of Photons are the...

Photons and wave-particle duality in light

By Cameron Bell

Photons

What are photonsPhotons are the discrete particles

which light are made out of

They travel at the constant speed of 2.9979 X 108 m/s

They have no mass

They can collide with each other

Mass of a photonPhotons have no mass

But they are always moving

In a vacuum they move at the speed of light

Discovery of the photonIn 1905 Albert Einstein published a

paper in which he proposed that light was made of particles called photons

In 1909 and 1916 he reinforced his statement on photons

In 1921 he was awarded the Nobel prize mostly for the theory of relativity but also partially for the discovery of photons

Facts about photonsIn water photons travel around 25% slower

than when they are in a vacuum

Cherenkov radiation produces a glow and is caused by particles travelling faster that the light around them

Photons are do not point in the direction that they are travelling but point perpendicular to it

The photon torpedo in star trek is a missile that has a small quantity of matter and antimatter separated in a magnetic container and touch upon impact

Wave Particle duality

What is the wave particle dualityThe wave particle duality is the

phenomenon where in one instance something can behave as a particle and in another instance (without any progression between the two) can behave like a wave

Some example of particles that behave like this are electrons and photons

The double slit experimentThomas young was the first to perform

the double slit experiment

The experiment shows that if you shoot electrons or photons at something with only one slit in it then it will behave like a particle

But if you shoot it at something with more than one slit then it will behave like a wave

What is the difference between how a wave and particle act

When a particle is fired at two slits then it will create two lines behind the slits

But if a wave is directed to the two slits then it will create an interference pattern

A video explaining the double slit experimenthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v

=DfPeprQ7oGc

The End