How can a photon be a wave and a particle?

Light can be described both as a wave and as a particle. There are two experiments in particular that have revealed the dual nature of light. When we’re thinking of light as being made of of particles, these particles are called “photons”. Photons have no mass, and each one carries a specific amount of energy.

Why is light both a wave and a particle?

Quantum mechanics tells us that light can behave simultaneously as a particle or a wave. When UV light hits a metal surface, it causes an emission of electrons. Albert Einstein explained this “photoelectric” effect by proposing that light – thought to only be a wave – is also a stream of particles.

Is a photon a wave or a particle?

The photon belongs to the class of bosons. Like all elementary particles, photons are currently best explained by quantum mechanics and exhibit wave–particle duality, their behavior featuring properties of both waves and particles.

Why do photons change when observed?

When a quantum “observer” is watching Quantum mechanics states that particles can also behave as waves. Once an observer begins to watch the particles going through the openings, the picture changes dramatically: if a particle can be seen going through one opening, then it’s clear it didn’t go through another.

How are reflection and refraction explained by the wave and particle models of light?

Both the particle and wave theories adequately explain reflection from a smooth surface. However, the particle theory also suggests that if the surface is very rough, the particles bounce away at a variety of angles, scattering the light. This theory fits very closely to experimental observation.

Why is light considered a particle?

Light behaves mainly like a wave but it can also be considered to consist of tiny packages of energy called photons. Photons carry a fixed amount of energy but have no mass. Until about 1900, scientists only understood electromagnetic radiation to be made up of waves. …

Do you think it has particles did it behave as a wave just like what happens in water?

Waves are very distinct phenomena in our universe, as are particles. When it comes to things like photons and electrons, the answer to the question “Do they behave like waves or particles?” is … yes.

What does it mean to observe a particle?

In the context of the two-slit experiment, observing a particle at the slits means acquiring knowledge about which slit the particle passed through, which in turn changes the pattern on the target screen.

What is the difference between a photon and a wave?

A photon is a denizen of the particle model of light. A wave is endemic of the wave model of light. You can attribute a number of photons arriving on a square meter of surface per second, to intensity, and compare that to the energy flux of the wave model, and make some assumptions.

Does a photon have energy but not mass?

But in all cases, it is a change of wave forms between longitudinal wave energy and transverse energy and vice versa. Unlike a particle which has wave centers that create standing, longitudinal waves measured as mass, the photon is a packet of traveling waves. Therefore, it has energy but not mass.

How is a photon generated?

In energy wave theory, a photon is generated by the vibration of particles, traveling perpendicular to the direction of vibration. In the particles section, particles were described as waves of energy, creating standing waves from in-waves and out-waves.

How does vibration affect the wavelength of a photon?

A faster vibration causes a photon with a shorter wavelength and greater energy and a slower vibration causes a photon with a longer wavelength and lower energy. This results in the different types of waves seen in the electromagnetic spectrum (e.g. x-rays versus radio waves).