photon

     

In physics, the photon is the elementary particle responsible for electromagnetic phenomena. It is the carrier of electromagnetic raiation of all wavelengths, including gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet light, visible light, infrared light, microwaves, and radio waves. The photon differs from many other elementary particles, such as the electron and the quark, in that it has zero rest mass; therefore, it travels (in a vacuum) at the speed of light, c. Like all quanta, the photon has both wave and particle properties (“wave–particle duality”). Photons show wave-like phenomena, such as refraction by a lens and destructive interference when reflected waves cancel each other out; however, as a particle, it can only interact with matter by transferring the amount of energy

Trivia about photon

  • As it has no mass, this particle travels at about 186,000 miles per second
  • A phonon is a tiny packet of sound; change 1 letter to get this unit of electromagnetic energy
  • It was American physicist Arthur Compton who came up with this name for a quantum of light
  • It's an elementary light particle also called a fuzzy ball
  • When an atom undergoes a quantum leap, one of these light particles is emitted or absorbed

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