Photons are elementary particles that serve as the quantum of light and all other forms of electromagnetic radiation. They are unique in that they have zero mass, do not carry electric charge, and always move at the speed of light within a vacuum. Photons exhibit both wave-like and particle-like properties, a dual nature that allows them to be described both as waves of electromagnetic energy and as discrete particles. Credit: SciTechDaily.
Photons represent the entire spectrum of electromagnetic radiation. This includes radio waves, gamma-rays, and visible light. Photons carry electromagnetic energy. This energy includes the visible light we can see and many other types of lower- and higher-energy forms of energy. Credit: NASALike many other particles governed by quantum mechanics, photons have the characteristics of both waves and particles. Photons travel in a wave-like fashion, in which the local electric and magnetic field oscillates in intensity, regularly swinging back and forth between high and low energy levels.
The energy in the photons determines the type of electromagnetic radiation the photons transmit. This means low-energy photons carry radio waves. Radio waves are called long-wavelength because the bottoms and crests of the waves are relatively far apart. High-energy photons carry gamma waves. Gamma waves are called short-wavelength because the bottoms and crests of their waves are very close together..
Albert Einstein won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922 for his work on photons and electromagnetic radiation.The DOE Office of Nuclear Physics in the Office of Science supports research to understand all forms of nuclear matter and the subatomic particles that make up atomic nuclei. This research includes unraveling previously unknown properties of atoms and the subatomic particles they are composed of in their natural state.