Can photon have rest mass?
As far as we know, photon have zero rest mass. A photon is massless, meaning it has no energy or matter. This means it cannot be created or destroyed, it only changes its properties under the conditions of the Universe. This means it is impossible for a photon to gain or lose rest mass.
Does photon have rest mass?
To understand if a photon has or can have rest mass, one needs to first understand what rest mass is. Rest mass is a quantity of matter that is needed to keep an object stationary (or at rest). It is a measure of how much an object weighs. It is different from mass, which refers to the quantity of matter in an object. One of the first mentions of rest mass was given by Aristotle in his Physics. Later, the concept of rest mass was developed by Galileo Galilei.
Does a photon have rest mass?
It is said that a photon has no rest mass, yet there is no formal proof that shows that it indeed has no rest mass. What is known is that the photon does not interact with matter or energy; it passes through it without any reaction whatsoever. This is why it is called a neutral particle. In addition, a photon has zero electric charge and no spin.
Can a photon have rest mass without mass?
We know that a photon is a massless particle, but can it have rest mass without having “ordinary” mass? Short answer, no. In the case of a massless particle, the energy is always equal to its momentum. Therefore, when you add energy to a massless particle, it will increase its speed, not increase its mass. But rest mass is the energy of an object when it is stationary. So if a photon has rest mass, it will require an infinite amount
Can a photon have a rest mass?
If we assume that the photon has a rest mass, then it would have to be a mass at absolute zero, which is impossible. Since a photon is an elementary particle, it cannot have a property that is not associated with its nature. Thus, the concept of a photon having a rest mass is not possible.