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Re: QUANTA



Dave,
Actually, your student would only see what was measured. Light
is funny creature that only shows you its features that you are
measuring. Do a diffraction measurement and the light will diffract,
showing wave nature. Or you could do a photoelectric effect measurement
and the light would appear to be particle. The light is just
oscillating E and B fields and appear as such until measured. Any
attempt to "see" the blue light is a measurement and you will get either
the wave or particle nature. One cannot test both at once in case you
are wondering. Their behaviors are that different. Hope that helps.


Sam Held


-----Original Message-----
From: David Abineri [mailto:dabineri@CHOICE.NET]
Sent: Tuesday, March 02, 1999 6:55 PM
To: PHYS-L@LISTS.NAU.EDU
Subject: QUANTA


A student asked if one could talk about quanta if an antenna was
broadcasting a frequency in the blue range of the visible spectrum for
example. Would we see it as blue? Would the mechanism for seeing it be
any different from seeing quantized forms of blue light?

I hope my question makes sense but it seems there is a difference here
but I am not sure how to explain it.

Thanks for any help, David Abineri
--
David Abineri dabineri@choice.net