Department of Energy Argonne National Laboratory Office of Science NEWTON's Homepage NEWTON's Homepage
NEWTON, Ask A Scientist!
NEWTON Home Page NEWTON Teachers Visit Our Archives Ask A Question How To Ask A Question Question of the Week Our Expert Scientists Volunteer at NEWTON! Frequently Asked Questions Referencing NEWTON About NEWTON About Ask A Scientist Education At Argonne Photon Paths 
Name:  Jheryd
Status:  student
Age:  13
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 2000-2001
Question:
My father and I were discussing C (lightspeed), and specifically, the fact that, as we understand physics, nothing (except photons) can travel at C, much less exceed it. Dad also explained that photons, which travel at C, do not exist at speeds below C. My question is: Doesn't a photon a high frequency have to travel a farther distance, (Up and down the crests and troughs of its wave), than a photon moving at a lower frequency? Therefore, would not the photon at a higher frequency have to move faster to travel the same distance at the same time as a photon at lower frequency?

Replies:
It does not travel in the path of the wave. The wave is the electromagnetic disturbance that is part of the photon.

Nathan A. Unterman


Click here to return to the Physics Archives

NEWTON is an electronic community for Science, Math, and Computer Science K-12 Educators, sponsored and operated by Argonne National Laboratory's Educational Programs, Andrew Skipor, Ph.D., Head of Educational Programs.

For assistance with NEWTON contact a System Operator (help@newton.dep.anl.gov), or at Argonne's Educational Programs

NEWTON AND ASK A SCIENTIST
Educational Programs
Building 360
9700 S. Cass Ave.
Argonne, Illinois
60439-4845, USA
Update: June 2012
Weclome To Newton

Argonne National Laboratory