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 Fundamentals of Electromagnetic Radiation 
Name: Mitchell
Status: student
Age: N/A
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
In physics the photon is the gauge boson for electromagnetism. Photons are also carriers of electromagnetic radiation. What I do not understand is how electromagnetic radiation and electromagnetism are linked. If photons are what elementary particles use to exert forces on each other, does this mean that light is the electromagnetic interaction between electrically charged particles?


Replies:
Mitchell,

You are correct. Light is a combination of oscillating electric and magnetic fields. These fields are emitted by electric charges. These electric and magnetic fields then affect the motion of other charges. At the level of individual particles, the fields are always oscillating. At the level of charged balls or current flowing through an antenna, the oscillations are too small and too fast to detect unless the oscillations of the charges themselves can be detected.

Dr. Ken Mellendorf
Physics Instructor
Illinois Central College


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