Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution . s, the more widely the ray is spread by diffraction. 82322—30 16 228 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1929 If it were possible to photograph instantaneously the photons inan intense beam of light, we might expect them to have somewhatthe appearance of Figure 7. Where the electric field of the correspond-ing electromagnetic wave is a maximum, there will be a maximumdensity of distribution of the photons. There is, however, thisdefect with our picture, that there seems to be no possible way inwhich we can experimentally
Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution . s, the more widely the ray is spread by diffraction. 82322—30 16 228 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1929 If it were possible to photograph instantaneously the photons inan intense beam of light, we might expect them to have somewhatthe appearance of Figure 7. Where the electric field of the correspond-ing electromagnetic wave is a maximum, there will be a maximumdensity of distribution of the photons. There is, however, thisdefect with our picture, that there seems to be no possible way inwhich we can experimentally locate the individual photons withinthe wave. Our picture must thus be considered to be a purely imag-inary one. It will, however, serve to indicate that the conceptionsof waves and particles are not irreconcilable. Perhaps enough has been said to show that by grasping bothhorns it has been found possible to overcome the dilemma. Thoughno simple picture has been invented affording a mechanical modelof a light ray, by combining the notions of waves and particles a. AAA FiGUKE 7.—Waves of photons. The curve represents a continuous electromagnetic wave; below thecurve the wave is represented as successive sheets of photons logically consistent theory has been devised which seems essentiallycapable of accounting for the properties of light as we know rays, heat rays, visible and ultra-violet light, all are thusdifferent varieties of light. We find from experiments on diffractionand interference that light consists of waves. The photoelectriceffect and the scattering of X rays give equally convincing reasonsfor believing that light consists of particles. For centuries it hasbeen supposed that the two conceptions are contradictory. Goadedon, however, by obstinate experiments, we seem to have found away out. We continue to think of light propagated as electromag-netic waves; but whenever the light does something, it does it asphotons. Light is thus in some respects sim
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