Quote:
On 2001-12-08 09:47, SEG9585 wrote:
Since photons in a wave of light always move at the speed of light, if the frequency of one wave was higher than another, wouldnt the higher-frequency's wave take longer to get somewhere than the light with a lower frequency over a long distance, (on a longitudal line). Since the frequency is higher, the waves are shorter and go up and down alot more than the straighter, low-frequency photon flow. This would mean the higher-frequency photon has to travel faster through its waves to keep up with the other wave, which is impossible Can someone clear this up for me?
Also, do waves travel in a mere line up and down, or does it sort of swirl as it travels?
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Imagining the photon riding along on the wave is not a good physical picture. I would suggest dropping it at the earliest opportunity. The wave and the photon do not exist simultaneously. As a crude approximation, if you are set up to detect waves you will detect waves. If you are set up to detect photons, you will detect photons.
Look at it this way, if you stand still in one place and with an electric field detector, the detected signal will be a sine wave if the EM field is sinusoidal. Likewise for a magnetic field detector. And in the case of linearly polarized waves, these detected signals will be in phase.
On the other hand, if you travel along with a particular place on the wave, say the crest, in a vacuum you will be traveling at the speed of light.
An electric field is a region of space in which an electric charge experiences a force. And likewise, a magnetic field is a region where a magnetic pole experiences a force.