Photon
Reference from the original Physics I textbook.
- Photon
A photon is a quantum of electromagnetic radiation. It carries energy E = hf and momentum p = h/λ, and has zero rest mass. The wave nature of light does not imply that each photon follows a sinusoidal path.
- Related Glossary Terms
- Index
Reviewed physics notes (1)
These corrections keep the original lesson’s purpose while fixing errors in the source edition.
- Photons do not move along literal wave-shaped paths. — Reference 1
Glossary and deeper reading · 1 refreshers
These editorial refreshers supplement the reading. Definitions and examples are added guidance; original source wording and recorded answers remain in their original context.
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Photon
A photon is a quantum of electromagnetic radiation with energy proportional to its frequency. It has zero rest mass and no electric charge but carries energy and momentum. For example, increasing light’s frequency increases the energy of each photon, while increasing the number of same-frequency photons increases the total energy.