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Tue 24 Jan, 2006 05:29 pm
Teaching HS Chemistry, and talking about deBroglie standing "matter" waves and the graphic results of Schrodinger's wave equations, makes me want to ask about electromagnetic photons. How long is a photon, since the wavelength and frequency depend on the amount of energy it is carrying, I assume that all photons are the same length. What about shape?
This question is impossible to answer. It is not even clear what an answer would mean.
A question in physics must come with a description of how it is measured. For example, if you ask me what the length of my dresser is it is clear what you are asking, namely, if the dresser is not moving (relative to me), and I compare it to a yardstick (also not moving...) how will it compare?
So what does this question mean? Are you asking if I had a photon that was stopped relative to me (do you start to see the problem) and compare it to a yardstick, how will it compare?
This question doesn't make sense because its very foundation is impossible. Not only is the experiment that would answer it impossible, but there is no math that would give a theoretical answer.
The graphic results of Shrodinger's wave equations are just that... graphic results. They talk about probability fields and don't give any insight into a physical size or shape.
One you couldn't easily measure a photon within anything - and we typically used photons to measure other things - not itself.
Two if it has a hard defined edge its radius is likely to be very small - possible under a Planck length so Heinsenberg's undercertainity principle would again not allow you to determine it.
Three if its well under a Planck length (10 -34 metres) distance almost looses all meaning - welcome to a quantum reality. If it were say 10 ^120 m it would have no meaning in conventional science.