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Old 04-June-2005, 05:00 PM
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Grey Grey is offline
Order of Kilopi
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Michigan
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lyndonashmore
Here Sylas says that to absorb a photon of light of wavelength 5e-7m will require 400,000 electrons to balance his energy budget. I did it with three electrons and two nails.
Except that you don't balance momentum at the same time.

Quote:
Originally Posted by lyndonashmore
Momentum is not coserved for the electron since it has an external force acting on it - the electric field of the photon. This is why it gains energy and momentum in this direction.
Let me make sure I've got this right. You're saying that when a photon interacts with a charged particle, momentum is not conserved?