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Light Talk
Forum: Shedding Light
Topic: A model of light on the atomic level
Topic Posted by: Robert Bailey (baileyr@rcn.com )Organization: Quashnet School
Date Posted: Sun Nov 30 21:56:58 2003
Topic Description: In exploring the photon model of light and how it is absorbed and emitted, I began searching for coresponding explanations of the angle of reflection, index of refraction, even transmission of light through transparent and translucent materials. I could not find anything that addressed the spatial arrangement of the atoms and how it is related to what happens to the photon. Do atoms have an "up" and "down"? How does the photon know which direction to leave the atom after being absorbed? Does the shape of the electron "orbitals" cause a photon to be "reflected" off at the same angle it arrives at a mirror?
Previous message
Posted by: Robert Bailey
Date posted: Sat Jan 10 16:54:12 2004
Subject: QED anwered my question
Message:
After posting the above question on the listserve ChannelTalk, I received several responses, one of which was to read the book QED by Richard Feynman. This book did, indeed answer my question and opened up the whole new world of Quantum Electro Dynamics(QED) to me. The answer I got was confusing and bizzare but was, to my view, how nature really seems to work. The photon does NOT know to re emit at a precise angle. It simply finds the fastest route through a process of probablility! Read the book, discover quarks, probability amplitudes, funny little arrows that rotate, and a modern physicist who is brilliant, clear and funny all at once!
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| Roland anselma | Wed Feb 15 18:40:55 2006 | ||
| Roland anselma | Wed Feb 15 18:46:47 2006 |
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