844
submitted 11 months ago by EherVielleicht@feddit.de to c/memes@lemmy.ml
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee 7 points 11 months ago

Ok so a wave is the physical expression of energy transferring through a medium

Ocean waves are kinetic energy transferring from water molecule to water molecule, sound is high frequency waves moving through a transmissible medium in a way we can perceive as noise, etcetera.

"Light is a wave and a particle" refers to the fact that since photons travel in a probability wave until perceived, they are capable of being their own medium for electromagnetic energy.

This is why light can travel in a vacuum where other wave based phenomenon cannot, light comes with its own medium to travel through the void with.

[-] SickPanda@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

light can be glad there is no space police. That's illegal.

[-] ssboomman@lemm.ee 2 points 11 months ago

This kinda falls apart once you realize that all small particles (atoms, electrons, molecules, etc) have wave particle duality.

[-] PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Yes but its the best "in English please" explanation I can come up with.

Otherwise we're going to have to start talking about the non-zero odds a beautiful woman is going to materialize and accept the second ice cream cone and nobody has the time for that outside of a laboratory or lecture hall.

[-] Chrobin@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

This medium you're talking about is called "aether" and was disproven in 1887.

[-] PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee 2 points 11 months ago

No, that is the separate medium, I'm talking about the photon being both the medium and the energy the medium is carrying.

this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2023
844 points (98.6% liked)

Memes

45185 readers
1364 users here now

Rules:

  1. Be civil and nice.
  2. Try not to excessively repost, as a rule of thumb, wait at least 2 months to do it if you have to.

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS