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Technically light is not a particle nor a wave, due to particle-wave duality. However it is commonly referred to as a particle, the photon. Then again, there is also the photon field in which photons live, so the entire picture is somewhat complicated.

One of the major signs that light had some particle-like qualities came from the photo-electric effect (which incidentally landed Albert Einstein his Nobel prize). The photo-electric effect happens when high energy photons (or high frequency light if you like) strikes a metal and the light evicts an electron from the metal.

What was surprising is that the amount of released electrons dropped to zero below a certain frequency. But increasing the frequency much above that threshold likewise did not lead to additional released electrons, it only increased the energy of these so-called photo-electrons. Increasing the intensity of the light does increase the number of released electrons, but it does not increase the energy of the photo-electrons.

This was very counter-intuitive for people who regarded light as being just a wave because increasing the intensity should increase the energy and thus also the energy of the released electrons.

Through the work of Einstein we now know that increasing the intensity increases the number of photons in the light beam, and more photons means more collisions to release electrons. But each photon does not gain more energy with increased intensity (you just get more protons) which explains why the energy of the released electrons was insensitive to the intensity of the light.

With the advent of quantum mechanics it is now clear that the electromagnetic field is quantized; it comes in small packages called photons.

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Q: What proof is there that light is a particle?
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Related questions

Proofs of the particle nature of light?

Albert Einstein's Photo-electric effect is one of the proof of the particle nature of light. The experiment on the wave particle duality is another proof pf the particle nature of light.


How do you detect if light is a particle or a wave?

Light is both a wave and a particle depending on circumstances; this is referred to as the wave-particle duality of light.


Is light a particle?

Yes. Light has both particle and wave properties.


How can you prove that light is a particle?

The photoelectric effect was pretty definitive evidence that light is a particle (well, at least sometimes a particle).


What are the proofs of the particle nature light?

The particle nature of light is illustrated by the photoelectric effect.


A particle scatters light if it is larger than the of light?

Yes if the size of the particle is greater than the wavelength of light falling on it.


When light behaves like a particle what is the particle called?

A photon.


Which phenomenon demonstrates a particle nature of light?

The particle nature of light is illustrated by the photoelectric effect.


What is the light est subatomic particle?

The lightest subatomic particle is the electron.


Discovery of particle theory of light?

Pierre Gassendi (1592-1655), an atomist, proposed a particle theory of light.


Is it possible to get more speed then light to the particle with accelerator?

No. The more energy the accelerator can give the particle, the closer the particle can approach to the speed of light, but it can never reach exactly that speed.


Why can't light be classified as a separate particle with wave and particle nature?

Not sure what you mean, as the photon is classified as a separate particle. Light, like electrons, sometimes displays particle characteristics and sometimes displays wave characteristics.