Photons
- demo with slinky -- really a standing wave
- fundamental f and harmonic 2f
- show wavelength
- transverse waves generated on plucked string of guitar, violin, etc.
- many harmonics (Phys 103) make for interesting sounds
E-M radiation (light waves) also behaves as particles
- Wave-particle duality of Quantum Mechanics
- Newton believed light was particles but wasn’t proven till 1905 by Einstein (the photo-electric effect)
- The smallest unit of E-M radiation is called the photon
- photon’s energy E is related to its frequency f by E = hf
- h very small, so individual photons have very little energy
- highest energy photons have highest frequency, energy rank:
- x-ray > uv > visible > infrared > radio