this post was submitted on 11 Mar 2024
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Why they have momentum since they don't have mass
You know that old E=mc² equation? That's actually only the simplified "rest" half of it. The full equation that relativity gives us says E²=m²c⁴+p²c². Meaning if it has energy, it definitely has mass (m), momentum (p), or both.
For a massless particle like a photon, that means E=pc, and its momentum is proportional to its energy and therefore frequency/wavelength.
Weird math bullshit.
But in essence, because they carry energy they must have momentum. It's why they can impart momentum on what they hit, because momentum must be preserved.
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-physics/chapter/29-4-photon-momentum/