Key Stage 5
Meaning
Photons (\(\gamma\)) are bosons responsible for mediating the electromagnetic interaction and are the particle associated with electromagnetic waves.
About Photons
- The photon is denoted with the lower case Greek letter \(\gamma\) (gamma).
- Photons have no mass and therefore can mediate the electromagnetic interaction over an infinite range.
- Photons carry momentum without carrying mass and are therefore able to change the direction of motion of other subatomic particles.
- Photons do not carry charge, but allow particles with charge to exchange momentum.
Equations
The equation for the momentum of a photon is
\(p = \frac{h}{\lambda}\)
Where
\(p =\) The momentum of the photon.
\(h = \) Planck's Constant (\(6.63\times10^{-34}Js\))
\(\lambda =\) The wavelength of the photon.