What is Light?
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No flaming ar... Seriously just wondering (aloud).
I know its Electro Magnetic Wave thing... having both properties of waves and particles. But what is that exactly? Scientists call it energy made up of "Photons", putting it alongside electrons and protons. So what is a Photon?
How is it that something can travel at approx 300,000km/h and not lose nor gain speed? How does it crash onto stuff on this planet and not cause any damage? I'm pretty sure if u threw something microscopic (made up of an atom/electron/proton) at any material at 300,000km/h, its gonna cause some major damage... In fact it would be quite nuclear -.-
And how do we explain the transfer of energy that allow us to "create" light? Eg. our hand-torches using 2 AA batteries... power up a lightbulb that gives off something that can travel at 300,000km/h...
We're allowing something travelling THAT fast to enter our eyes and it goes pfft, absorbed and changed into images in our brain. Isn't that amazing?
How do you reflect something travelling at 300,000km/h? How do you absorb it?
I'm just basing this off memory of what i read before... so maybe i'm missing something here... Enlighten me pls
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ok, you got me there - feed your ravenous mind here
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Awwwwwww............. spoon-feeding again??
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nothing is there, everything's just created by human minds
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Read wiki already.. doesn't answer the questions burning in my brain heh... The conclusion i've come to is: Its a gift from God ^^Originally posted by wetlips:ok, you got me there - feed your ravenous mind here -
if you yearn for a spiritual answer, at least go to the RIGHT forum~!!Originally posted by Justy:Read wiki already.. doesn't answer the questions burning in my brain heh... The conclusion i've come to is: Its a gift from God ^^ -
tatz quite wise
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Another christian evangelist.. Fucx off!Originally posted by Justy:Read wiki already.. doesn't answer the questions burning in my brain heh... The conclusion i've come to is: Its a gift from God ^^ -
not 300,000 km/h but 300,00 km/SECOND
Light particles have no mass, so no catastrophe when it hits you. -
Originally posted by tIfosI:
e=mc^2?
not 300,000 km/h but 300,00 km/[b]SECOND
Light particles have no mass, so no catastrophe when it hits you.[/b] -
uh oh
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Originally posted by tIfosI:
By Einstein's Mass-Energy Equivalence statement E=mc^2,
not 300,000 km/h but 300,00 km/[b]SECOND
Light particles have no mass, so no catastrophe when it hits you.[/b]
Photons do have mass
In fact, they also have an associated energy at the speed they move
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Originally posted by deathscythe99:
as photons travel at the speed of light, they exhibit no mass
By Einstein's Mass-Energy Equivalence statement E=mc^2,
Photons [b]do have mass
In fact, they also have an associated energy at the speed they move[/b]
photons are simply force carriers for electromagnetism -
Light possess and exhibit wave-particle dualityOriginally posted by poon cho tang:as photons travel at the speed of light, they exhibit no mass
photons are simply force carriers for electromagnetism As shown by Louis de Broglie in his expt.. -
maciam chicken and egg question
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Originally posted by deathscythe99:
I didn't want to delve into that seeing that the first poster seems quite confused.
By Einstein's Mass-Energy Equivalence statement E=mc^2,
Photons [b]do have mass
In fact, they also have an associated energy at the speed they move[/b]
Photons do not have mass in the usual definition. If a photon had mass it would have infinite energy (ie an infinite amount of energy has to be input into it) as it approaches the speed of light which does not make sense as we all know a single photon has a finite amount of energy.
So kindly retract the rolling eyes. -
definitely is amzing. Photons is only one amzing particle. There are many other particles more amazing, like neutrinos that interact VERY little with the matter in this universe. They can like pass through our EARTH without anyone knowing. It is like firing a gun at you and the bullet passes through you without your knowledge.Originally posted by Justy:No flaming ar... Seriously just wondering (aloud).
We're allowing something travelling THAT fast to enter our eyes and it goes pfft, absorbed and changed into images in our brain. Isn't that amazing?
How do you reflect something travelling at 300,000km/h? How do you absorb it?
So it is not that amazing to know that photons are absorbed...it is more amazing why neutrinos are not absorbed. Size doesn't matter here... -
How strange you agree that when i say God, i mean the Christian God. I guess you agree too there is only one God thenOriginally posted by nightsky87:Another christian evangelist.. Fucx off! -
Suddenly say me confused >.<Originally posted by tIfosI:I didn't want to delve into that seeing that the first poster seems quite confused.
Photons do not have mass in the usual definition. If a photon had mass it would have infinite energy (ie an infinite amount of energy has to be input into it) as it approaches the speed of light which does not make sense as we all know a single photon has a finite amount of energy.
So kindly retract the rolling eyes.
I'm just puzzled at how everyone accepts what we learn about science. "Oh Light is Electro Magnetic Waves that exhibit particle and wave properties".
Thanks for all the responses so far however ^^ Although no one has really answered the question. Imoho thats what Science is all about. Its kinda like math (algebra) really. In math you let X = something. In science you let Photon = what light is made up of. And henceforth photon is happily used in all related theories and calculations and no one really did say what is Photon exactly? There doesn't seem to be a need to know anymore. The substitution had taken on a life of its own.
If you notice in the past few replies, everyone mentioned a different theory. They are all true to a certain extent. But none of them are true in all cases. In other words there is still no equation that fits everything. Kinda like how Einstein never found the mother of all equations for the world.
Didn't really expect someone to come up with an answer. Was just another of my musings. I guess if you accept the theories presented so far to be good enough for you, then thats fine ^^
For me, i'm still looking -
Sorry for dragging this thread back up, but I just was so tempted to state my beliefs.
The history of science is one whereby mankind gradually discovers that things do not happen in a random manner but in an orderly pattern. After many thousand years the concepts have gotten more and more abstract such that they are not accesible by many of the general public.
Why do we accept such abstract theories? For me, it is through experience, logical thinking, and mathematics. I believe if there is a God, his universe would be simple and elegant, not one which the laws of science can change at will.
True there is still no single consistent theory to describe the entire universe. However, there are many signs that we are on the verge of converging on such a theory.
Perhaps you are questioning the existance of these theories and thus the meaning of life? I haven't gave deep thought to that for I'm still in awe at the beauty of the universe.