Photon Definition

A photon is a packet of light or electromagnetic radiation.
A photon is a packet of light or electromagnetic radiation. picturegarden / Getty Images
by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Updated July 24, 2017

Photon Definition: A photon is a discrete packet of energy associated with electromagnetic radiation (light). A photon has energy E which is proportional to the frequency ν of the radiation: E = hν, where h is Planck's constant.

Also Known As: quantum, quanta

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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Photon Definition." ThoughtCo, Jul. 24, 2017, thoughtco.com/definition-of-photon-605908. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2017, July 24). Photon Definition. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-photon-605908 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Photon Definition." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-photon-605908 (accessed June 19, 2018).