Quantum View of Electron and Photon

In summary: A photon is part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Electron is part of electricity. Electricity can create an electromagnetic7. Is space-time a-priori or Electromagnetic Radiation?Matter(electron-positron) can be created out of two large momentum photons and the mass of electrons is already measured in energy units - eV so no need to convert mass into energy.In summary, QM explains the absence of a charged particle with full integer spin by saying that there are particles with half integer values for spin.
  • #1
San K
911
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Quantum View of the Electron and Photon

Sorry if the questions sound too amateurish.

1. Is electron a packet of matter, while a photon a packet of energy? or is photon just a force carrier?

2. Can the mass of an electron be converted into energy, and then into electromagnetic radiation
i.e. photons?

3. Rest mass of a photon is said to be zero. However, if photon is a packet of energy then wouldn't that energy theoretically correspond to some mass (via e=mc2)?

4. The electrons have half integer values as spin. How does QM explain the absence of a charged particle with full integer spin? or why

5. Can a Boson be converted (at east theoretically) into a Fermion?

i.e can matter (?) be converted into a force carrier?

6. A photon is part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Electron is part of electricity. Electricity can create an electromagnetic

7. Is space-time a-priori or Electromagnetic Radiation?
 
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  • #2
Matter(electron-positron) can be created out of two large momentum photons and the mass of electrons is already measured in energy units - eV so no need to convert mass into energy.

Some similar questions motivate physicists to believe that all elemenary particles are aspects of something else - strings, branes, loops, something else entirely, etc. If it seems obvious and logical to me, it must be obvious to everyone else esp. to those with physics majors.
 
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  • #3
San K said:
1. Is electron a packet of matter, while a photon a packet of energy? or is photon just a force carrier?
Both electrons and photons are pointlike elementary particles. A photon is not "just a packet of energy", it also carries momentum and spin, and most importantly it couples to the electromagnetic charge and current.

San K said:
2. Can the mass of an electron be converted into energy, and then into electromagnetic radiation i.e. photons?
Not by itself, but an electron can collide and annihilate with a positron, producing two photons. All of their energy goes into the energy of the photons directly, it's not correct to think of the conversion into energy as an intermediate step.

San K said:
3. Rest mass of a photon is said to be zero. However, if photon is a packet of energy then wouldn't that energy theoretically correspond to some mass (via e=mc2)?
In place of E = mc2 the more general relationship that holds for all particles is E2 = p2c2 + m2c4. So even a massless particle like the photon can have energy by virtue of its momentum.

San K said:
4. The electrons have half integer values as spin. How does QM explain the absence of a charged particle with full integer spin? or why
The W meson is an example of an elementary particle that has charge and integer spin.

San K said:
5. Can a Boson be converted (at east theoretically) into a Fermion?
Not in the Standard Model. It can happen in speculative "Grand Unified Theories".
 
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  • #4
thanks Bill_k and Maui
 

Related to Quantum View of Electron and Photon

1. What is the "Quantum View" of electrons and photons?

The quantum view of electrons and photons is the understanding of these particles through the lens of quantum mechanics. This view takes into account the wave-particle duality and the probabilistic nature of these particles, rather than viewing them as classical, solid objects.

2. How does the "Quantum View" differ from the classical view of electrons and photons?

The classical view of electrons and photons sees them as solid, discrete particles with defined trajectories and positions. However, the quantum view takes into account the uncertainty principle and the fact that these particles can behave as waves, making their behavior less predictable and more probabilistic.

3. What is wave-particle duality and how does it apply to electrons and photons?

Wave-particle duality is the principle that states that particles can exhibit both wave-like and particle-like behavior. In the case of electrons and photons, they can behave as waves with a certain frequency and wavelength, but also have the properties of particles, such as mass and position.

4. How does the "Quantum View" of electrons and photons impact our understanding of the physical world?

The quantum view of electrons and photons has greatly impacted our understanding of the physical world, as it has led to the development of quantum mechanics, which has been crucial in explaining phenomena at the atomic and subatomic level. It has also challenged our traditional notions of causality and determinism.

5. How is the "Quantum View" of electrons and photons being applied in technology?

The quantum view of electrons and photons has been applied in various technologies, such as quantum computing and cryptography. It also plays a crucial role in the development of new materials and technologies, such as solar cells and LEDs, which rely on the properties of electrons and photons at the quantum level.

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