<BGSOUND src="http://www.cyberphysics.co.uk/file.wav"> Photon head



Topic Menu

 
 

Photon

When a charged particle loses energy by interacting with anything it creates a tiny ripple in the electromagnetic field called a photon. The photon is the exchange particle for the electromagnetic force.

So electromagnetic radiation is made out of: the billions of tiny ripples created (mainly) by electrons around atoms changing their orbits and causing a little 'twang' in the field around them.

The wave created will spread out... as all waves do; but the higher its frequency - the more energetic the event that created it - the further the energy can travel in one direction without spreading out very much; visible light has a high enough frequency that most of the time it looks to us like it is just travelling in a straight line... whereas radiowaves spread widely. See diffraction

 

 

 

 

Cyberphysics.co.uk is written and maintained by a teacher who has more than 20 years experience of teaching in a British selective girls' Grammar School