Is the mass of a photon stationary in space?

In summary: I was reading a recent physics article on the google home page that stated that the current theory of mass is that it is a photon moving at light speed but stationary in space. My analogy of this was like a photon moving in a circle but it is not moving. I wish I could sight the article but can't. Do you know if this is true? This would then explain the energy mass equivalency of E=mC^2 or m=E/C^2. if you know of any articles written about this could you please put a link to them in the answer. thanks.In summary, this looks like nonsense.
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azcowboy702
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I was reading a recent physics article on the google home page that stated that the current theory of mass is that it is a photon moving at light speed but stationary in space. My analogy of this was like a photon moving in a circle but it is not moving. I wish I could sight the article but can't. Do you know if this is true? This would then explain the energy mass equivalency of E=mC^2 or m=E/C^2. if you know of any articles written about this could you please put a link to them in the answer. thanks.
 
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  • #2
azcowboy702 said:
I was reading a recent physics article on the google home page
Please give a specific reference. We can't discuss something we can't even read.

azcowboy702 said:
the current theory of mass is that it is a photon moving at light speed but stationary in space.
This looks like nonsense.
 
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  • #3
azcowboy702 said:
I was reading a recent physics article on the google home page...
I'd be more than a bit wary, considering the source!

Also: The general relationship is
##E^2 = (mc^2)^2 + (pc)^2##

Since a photon carries momentum you couldn't make the correct mass equivalence, even if it applied, which it doesn't. For a photon, m = 0, leading to E = pc.

-Dan
 
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azcowboy702 said:
I was reading a recent physics article on the google home page that stated that the current theory of mass is that it is a photon moving at light speed but stationary in space. My analogy of this was like a photon moving in a circle but it is not moving. I wish I could sight the article but can't. Do you know if this is true? This would then explain the energy mass equivalency of E=mC^2 or m=E/C^2. if you know of any articles written about this could you please put a link to them in the answer. thanks.
Photons can't be stationary in space.
 
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jedishrfu said:
There was a GR idea years ago by Wheeler called a Geon which could be light traveling in a circle Held together by its own gravitational field energy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geon_(physics)
Either light or gravitational radiation.
 
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FAQ: Is the mass of a photon stationary in space?

What is the mass of a photon?

A photon is considered to have zero rest mass. It is a massless particle, which means it does not have mass when it is stationary. However, photons are never at rest and always travel at the speed of light in a vacuum.

Can a photon be stationary in space?

No, a photon cannot be stationary. By definition, photons travel at the speed of light (approximately 299,792,458 meters per second) in a vacuum. If a photon were to be stationary, it would cease to exist as a photon.

How does a photon's energy relate to its mass?

A photon's energy is related to its frequency by the equation E = hf, where E is energy, h is Planck's constant, and f is the frequency of the photon. While a photon has zero rest mass, it has relativistic mass due to its energy, given by the equation E = mc². However, this relativistic mass is not the same as rest mass.

What is the significance of a photon's zero rest mass?

The zero rest mass of a photon is significant because it allows photons to travel at the speed of light. If photons had any rest mass, they would not be able to reach this speed. This property is crucial for the behavior of light and electromagnetic radiation.

Can the concept of mass apply to a photon in any way?

While photons have zero rest mass, they do have momentum and energy, which are related to their frequency and wavelength. In this sense, photons exhibit properties that can be described using relativistic mass, but this is not the same as rest mass. The concept of mass in the traditional sense does not apply to photons.

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