Question

Explain the concept of Photons and write about their properties?

Answer 1

Hint: When we study quantum physics then we deal with the term called photons. When we consider light as a quantized form, then the smallest particle we get is known as photons. Thus photons are the quantized product of light. Therefore it will have properties similar to the properties of light. Photons are also known as small packets of energy.

Complete answer:
We study about the quantization of electric charge, similarly when we study about the quantization of light then we study about the photons. Therefore we can say that photons are the light quantum and very minute packets of electromagnetic radiation.
In \[1905\] Einstein proposed the photoelectric effect. A photon is produced whenever an electron present in higher orbit falls back to its ground state or lower orbit. During this fall from higher energy level to lower energy level, the electrons emit a photon which may be treated as a packet of energy which has some unique characteristics.

Properties of Photons:
\[(i)\] According to Einstein the energy of a photon can be calculated by:
\[E{\text{ = }}hv\]
Where, \[h\] is called Planck's constant and \[v\] is the frequency of emitted photons.
\[(ii)\] The rest mass of a photon is considered to be zero. Thus we can say that photons are massless particles.
\[(iii)\] While electrons and protons are affected by electric and magnetic fields, photons are not affected by any of the fields.
\[(iv)\] Photons can be created and can be destroyed too. When radiation is emitted photons can be created and when radiation is absorbed photons can be destroyed.
\[(v)\] Photons do not have any charge.

Note: When a particle enters into a magnetic or electric field, it gets affected due to the charge and mass it carries with it. Since photons do not carry mass and charge thus they don’t get affected by the electric and magnetic field. It must be noted that photons can be created and destroyed too while other particles don’t. Photons are the fundamental particles of light.