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umair20
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why rest mass of photon is zero? how to prove it by m=m'/√(1-v^2/c^2)?
ZapperZ said:You cannot prove something like this via analytical methods. Please read the FAQ subforum in the Relativity forum.
Zz.
umair20 said:why rest mass of photon is zero? how to prove it by m=m'/√(1-v^2/c^2)?
moatasim23 said:REad about Photon!
In addition to the other answers, if photon's mass were different than zero, it should be infinite (according to the formula you have written) because v = c for a photon; its energy would be infinite too. Clearly that is a nonsense.umair20 said:why rest mass of photon is zero? how to prove it by m=m'/√(1-v^2/c^2)?
lightarrow said:In addition to the other answers, if photon's mass were different than zero, it should be infinite (according to the formula you have written) because v = c for a photon; its energy would be infinite too. Clearly that is a nonsense.
Of course. But the answer one can give, can also depend on the level of answer the OP was looking for: starting from the fact that a photon's speed is c, then a photon's mass different than zero generate an impossible situation.bcrowell said:If the photon's mass is nonzero, then it doesn't have v=c.
The mass of the photon can only be established experimentally.
lightarrow said:Of course. But the answer one can give, can also depend on the level of answer the OP was looking for: starting from the fact that a photon's speed is c, then a photon's mass different than zero generate an impossible situation.
The concept of photon mass refers to the idea that photons, which are particles of light, have a measurable mass. Relativity theory, on the other hand, states that mass and energy are equivalent and that the mass of an object increases as its speed approaches the speed of light. This creates a contradiction, as photons are always traveling at the speed of light and should therefore have an infinite mass according to relativity theory.
It is important to prove that photon mass is zero using relativity theory because it helps to further validate the theory and its predictions. Additionally, understanding the properties of photons is crucial for many fields of science, including quantum mechanics and astrophysics.
Relativity theory explains the zero mass of photons by stating that they are massless particles that travel at the speed of light. The theory also explains that the energy of a photon is directly proportional to its frequency, and the frequency of a photon is inversely proportional to its wavelength. This means that as the frequency and energy of a photon increase, its wavelength decreases, allowing it to travel at the speed of light with zero mass.
Yes, the zero mass of photons has been proven experimentally through various experiments, including the observation of the Compton effect and the photoelectric effect. These experiments have confirmed that photons do not have a measurable mass and support the predictions of relativity theory.
Yes, there are other theories and concepts that support the zero mass of photons. For example, the theory of quantum electrodynamics also states that photons are massless particles. Additionally, the concept of gauge invariance, which is a fundamental principle in particle physics, predicts the zero mass of photons.