Radio waves vs light waves

"Jim" wrote in message
...
Holy crap, I knew somebody would know, but now I've got a splitting
headache. I wonder what happens to all the particles of light that can't
make it through windows. Do they pile up on the window sill? Never mind,
my brain hurts


Particles of light that do not make it through the window and which are not
reflected by the surface are absorbed into the structure. The excess energy
is then radiated away as heat.

The difference between a particle and a wave is the difference between
ripples on the water and the stone you threw in there. The particle is the
object itself. Waves are the measurable effect of the passage of the
particle. It is a fundamental axiom of physics that for very small particles
you can measure either the wave or the particle, but not both
simultaneously. Hence you can look at light as either a wave and measure its
characteristics in that manner, or you can look at where a particular photon
is and measure its characteristics at that moment. The reason is there is
nothing small enough to see both. How would you 'see' a photon, no matter
how much you magnified it? All you can see is where it went.

The light bulb does not create photons. It emits photons that are already
stored in the bulb. It probably absorbs enough electrons in the process so
that its weight does not change significantly.

Particles of light that do not make it through the window and which are not
reflected by the surface are absorbed into the structure. The excess energy
is then radiated away as heat.


Sort of.

They are absorbed, which means the (electromagnetic) energy is converted into
other kinds of energy in the structure, be it raising the orbitals of
electrons, wiggling the atoms around a bit, or accelerating it. The excess
energy is not really "excess" as there is no amount of energy a structure is
"permitted" to have. (not counting enough energy to blow it up. Molecular
motion IS heat. One of the ways energy is dissipated is the ratdiation of
photons (light, be it infra-red or otherwise), another is physical transfer of
momentum (the structure's atoms bounce against air molecules and make the air
molecules go faster). There are more.


The difference between a particle and a wave is the difference between
ripples on the water and the stone you threw in there.


No, the stone and the water are different things. But light, whether thought
of as waves or as particles, is the same thing. And if you think of light as a
particle, you are wrong. If you think of it as a wave, you are also wrong.
That's just the way the universe was put together - it's not my fault. g.


It is a fundamental axiom of physics that for very small particles
you can measure either the wave or the particle, but not both
simultaneously.


True enough.


The reason is there is nothing small enough to see both.


Never thought of it that way, but I don't think it's quite right. I thnk the
reason is more fundamental. "Stuff" is just made of something we don't
understand, and the ways we have though of so far are inadequate when put to
the test, though they make perfect sense in the macroscopic sense.


The light bulb does not create photons. It emits photons that are already
stored in the bulb.


The bulb too does create photons... photons that didn't exist before. It does
so by resisting the motion of electons, and therefore sucking some of their
energy into making the bulb hot, and this releases energy in the form of
photons.

Ok, so just what IS a photon?

Think of an electric field that points up and down, and keeps on switching
directions at some rate. Now think of a magnetic field that points left and
right, but switches directions at the same rate, just a bit out of phase. As
the electric field collapses it generates a magnetic field, and as the magnetic
field collapses it generates an electric field, and the two chase each other at
the speed of light. It's not a perfect description, but it's pretty close to
what a photon is.

It takes energy to make these fields wiggle like that, the energy comes from
the motion of electons in their orbitals. When things happen just right, the
electron collapses, exhausted, back into a lower orbital, and a spurt of energy
in the form of the wiggling Electric and Magnetic fields shoots out. A photon
has been emitted. That's where they come from.

Jose


--
(for Email, make the obvious changes in my address)

"Teacherjh" wrote in message
When things happen just right, the
electron collapses, exhausted, back into a lower orbital, and a spurt of
energy
in the form of the wiggling Electric and Magnetic fields shoots out. A
photon
has been emitted. That's where they come from.

Pretty cool description, Teach. Heck, my Alabama brain can almost grasp
that concept.

Unfortunately, when it comes to physics the more I think I grasp, the less I
actually grasp. This is called the Aintcertainty Principal.

--
Jim Fisher

"Jim Fisher" wrote:
Unfortunately, when it comes to physics the more I think I grasp,
the less I actually grasp. This is called the Aintcertainty
Principal.

Tee-hee!

Every three or four years I buy one of those "Quantum Mechanics for
Laymen" books. I can cram a dim understanding into my brain, but it
evaporates quicker than 100LL on a hot ramp.
--
Dan
C172RG at BFM
(remove pants to reply by email)

"Teacherjh" wrote in message
...


Ok, so just what IS a photon?

A photon is a contrivance that has turned out to be unnecessary. (see "In
search of Schrodinger's Kittens")

"C J Campbell" wrote in message
Particles of light that do not make it through the window and which are
not
reflected by the surface are absorbed into the structure.

So, over the course of time your house gets lighter?