Do Photons Actually Move at the Speed of Light?

In summary, although electric current travels at 200000 km/s, electrons move much slower and act as a medium for energy transportation. This concept may also apply to light, where the energy travels at 300000 km/s, but the actual photons may not. There have been discussions and studies about the nature of photons being both particle-like and wave-like, but there are theoretical issues with slow photons. Experiments have shown that photons do travel at the speed of light, which is consistent with the idea that they are fluctuations of the electric and magnetic field. There have been debates on whether we can actually observe a photon or if we are only observing the fluctuations it creates in vacuum. Some suggest that photons and antiphotons are the same
  • #1
ExecNight
91
2
We know electric current travels around 200000 km/s.. Yet electrons are moving way much slower, just acting as a medium for the transportation of the energy.

Can same principle apply for light? Although the energy flows at 300000 km/s the photons may actually not? Like, the energy traveling on a medium made of virtual photons, that in certain states comes to being and observed.

Since photons are particle like, and wave like. Are there any studies answering how this is so?

Thanks.
 
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  • #2
We can perform experiments with single photons, and we observe that they travel at the speed of light.

On the theoretical side, there are many issues with slow photons. For example, special relativity would require them to have nonzero rest mass, despite experiments (such as Coulomb's Law and precision QED) that indicate otherwise.
 
  • #3
Can you point me to an experiment you had in mind as an example?

I am not sure if we can actually observe a photon, i would suggest like in my original post, that all we might observe is the fluctuations the energy creates in vacuum. Thus, virtual photons gains an extremely short life existence, probably undetectable.

Also, we do know photon is a rare particle. Antiphotons and photons are actually the same thing in the end. One might also suggest that, you can only observe the photon that had left the source once you actually try to observe it. It doesn't mean that photon came there at speed c. You can't even know which particle you have actually captured through the fluctuations, the photon or its antiphoton. Since they are the same thing anyway..

I want to see if the experiment you have in mind can disprove the above idea.
 
  • #4
The photon is a fluctuation of the electric and magnetic field, and we know that these fluctuations propagate at c. Now, if you are talking about a fluctuation propagating through a medium of photons, now you are talking about a fluctuation made up of fluctuations, which is just silly.
 
  • #5
The photon is a fluctuation of the electric and magnetic field, and we know that these fluctuations propagate at c.

You have to note that, I got two answers to the same question.

Does photon travel at the speed of light?
or
Is it the fluctuations of the electric and magnetic field that travel at c?
or
Do we call these fluctuations of the electric and magnetic field that travel at c, photons?
 

Related to Do Photons Actually Move at the Speed of Light?

1. What are virtual particles and photons?

Virtual particles and photons are theoretical particles that are not directly observable in the traditional sense. They arise from quantum field theory and are considered to be fluctuations in the quantum vacuum. Virtual particles and photons are constantly popping in and out of existence, but they cannot be directly detected or measured.

2. How are virtual particles and photons different from regular particles?

Virtual particles and photons differ from regular particles in several ways. They do not have a definite mass or energy, and they do not obey the laws of conservation of energy and momentum. Additionally, they do not have a permanent existence and cannot be directly observed or measured.

3. How do virtual particles and photons affect our understanding of the universe?

Virtual particles and photons play a crucial role in our understanding of the universe, particularly in the field of quantum mechanics. They help explain the fundamental forces of nature and provide insight into the behavior of particles on a subatomic level. They also play a role in phenomena such as the Casimir effect and Hawking radiation.

4. Can virtual particles and photons be experimentally observed?

No, virtual particles and photons cannot be directly observed or measured. However, their effects can be observed indirectly through experiments and calculations, such as in the Lamb shift and the anomalous magnetic moment of the electron.

5. How are virtual particles and photons related to the concept of vacuum energy?

Virtual particles and photons are closely related to the concept of vacuum energy. The quantum vacuum is not truly empty but is instead filled with constantly fluctuating virtual particles and photons. These fluctuations contribute to the overall energy of the vacuum, known as vacuum energy. This energy has been observed in various experiments and plays a significant role in our understanding of the universe.

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