Does Light Have Mass? Exploring the Confusion

In summary, the conversation discusses the question of whether light has mass. One person believes that it does, but another argues that light is a form of energy and therefore does not have mass. They also question why light is affected by gravity if it does not have mass. The response is that light, specifically the photon, does not have mass. The conversation concludes with a suggestion to create a FAQ on the topic of common physics questions.
  • #1
Hypercase
62
0
light light??

hi u guz.
heres a confusing question. does light have mass.
I have always belived so , but i received a confusing argument,:- light may be a wave particle and be effected by gravity, but that is becuz energy and mass are two forms of thesame thing. so light is the
form of a packet of energy rather than something that has mass.


So Plz help clear this confusion:frown: Does light have mass?
does a photon hav mass?
If not then why is it affected by gravity?
Thanks in advance.
 
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  • #3


Originally posted by Hypercase
hi u guz.
heres a confusing question. does light have mass.
I have always belived so , but i received a confusing argument,:- light may be a wave particle and be effected by gravity, but that is becuz energy and mass are two forms of thesame thing. so light is the
form of a packet of energy rather than something that has mass.


So Plz help clear this confusion:frown: Does light have mass?
does a photon hav mass?
If not then why is it affected by gravity?
Thanks in advance.

Y'know, we get so many of these questions repeatedly. I know we have an FAQ for this Physics Forums dealing with users and administrative stuff. How about a physics FAQ dealing with these common questions? (Or do we have one already and I'm too dumb to notice?) I know the USENET has a huge database of FAQ's. Maybe we should have something similar? It doesn't even have to contain anything other than a set of links to various websites that answer these questions satisfactorily.

... or maybe I'm just barking at the wrong tree by suggesting it on here? :)

Zz.
 

Related to Does Light Have Mass? Exploring the Confusion

1. Does light have mass?

No, light does not have mass. It is a type of electromagnetic radiation, which is made of massless particles called photons.

2. Why is there confusion about whether light has mass?

There is confusion about whether light has mass because it exhibits properties of both particles (mass) and waves (no mass). This duality can be difficult to understand and leads to confusion about the nature of light.

3. Can light be affected by gravity if it has no mass?

Yes, light can be affected by gravity even though it has no mass. This is due to the curvature of space-time caused by massive objects, which can bend the path of light.

4. How do we know that light has no mass?

Scientists have conducted numerous experiments and observations that have consistently shown that light has no mass. This includes the famous Michelson-Morley experiment and the behavior of light in various theoretical and physical scenarios.

5. Does the lack of mass in light make it less important in the universe?

No, the lack of mass in light does not make it less important in the universe. Light plays a crucial role in many processes and interactions, including photosynthesis, vision, and communication through electromagnetic waves. It also allows us to observe and understand the universe through the study of light emissions from distant objects.

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