Is light a particle or a wave?

yes and no

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Bob Crantz" wrote in message
. ..
Is light a particle or a wave?

The physics of light should be taught by starting with the unified
theory and showing that particle and wave theories are approximations
and valid under certain definable conditions.

Joe

"Joe" wrote in message
oups.com...
The physics of light should be taught by starting with the unified
theory and showing that particle and wave theories are approximations
and valid under certain definable conditions.

Joe

Got a reference for that "unified theory"?

Particle and wave theories are not approximations.

Lloyd

Newton to Einstein: The Trail of Light - by Ralph Baierlein

Joe

There is no unified field theory as yet.

http://whatis.techtarget.com/definit...554508,00.html

You are talking about electro-magnetic theory.

"Joe" wrote
The physics of light should be taught by starting with the unified
theory and showing that particle and wave theories are approximations
and valid under certain definable conditions.

I thought we were talking about light.

joe

"Bob Crantz" wrote in message
. ..
Is light a particle or a wave?

It is correctly described by both theories.

Max

"Maxprop" wrote in message
link.net...

"Bob Crantz" wrote in message
. ..
Is light a particle or a wave?

It is correctly described by both theories.

Max
Theories don't describe, they explain. So if light can at times be a
particle (having mass)and at other times be a wave (pure energy) and two
different forms of "descriptions" must be used (and applied appropriately a
priori) something is amiss.

Even more strange is that individual photons have only circular
polarization. An ensemble is needed to get linear polarization. Seems to
rule out a pure EM wave doesn't it?

Throw in the fact that the phase of its wave function is altered by a
abstraction called the vector potential (this supposedly has no physical
meaning) and one can really begin to wonder.

Unified theory? ahahahahahahahahahaaaaaa!!!!!!!

Energy transfered without a media? ahahahahahahaaa!!!!

Different rules for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday? ahahahahahahaaaaa!!!!!!

Aahahahahahahahahahahahaaaa!!!!!!!

Amen!

"Bob Crantz" wrote in message
...

"Maxprop" wrote in message
link.net...

"Bob Crantz" wrote in message
. ..
Is light a particle or a wave?

It is correctly described by both theories.

Max
Theories don't describe, they explain. So if light can at times be a
particle (having mass)and at other times be a wave (pure energy) and two
different forms of "descriptions" must be used (and applied appropriately
a priori) something is amiss.

Even more strange is that individual photons have only circular
polarization. An ensemble is needed to get linear polarization. Seems to
rule out a pure EM wave doesn't it?

Throw in the fact that the phase of its wave function is altered by a
abstraction called the vector potential (this supposedly has no physical
meaning) and one can really begin to wonder.

Unified theory? ahahahahahahahahahaaaaaa!!!!!!!

Energy transfered without a media? ahahahahahahaaa!!!!

Different rules for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday?
ahahahahahahaaaaa!!!!!!

Aahahahahahahahahahahahaaaa!!!!!!!

Amen!

Does anyone really care?

Max