When an photon leaves an atom, does it accelerate up to the speed of light or is it always traveling at the speed of light within the atom?
Question asked by: knowitall
This is a false question - a photon is never part of an atom.
Rather a photon is thought to be the carrier of light - and therefore it always travels at light speed.
It does not speed up to light speed - by definition to be a photon a particle must be moving at light speed, and to move at light speed it must also be a photon.
By: Unknown
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Comments and other answers:
Hence the word "leave"!
when the photon is emitted from the electron it will travel at the speed of light... I think!By: sorceroruk
Date of comment: Tue, Nov 13th 2007
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light atom speed always within traveling leaves
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