Reflection of single photon

[Tomo]

If a single photon reflects/refracts from an interface does it obey the laws of reflection and refraction (i.e. angle of incidence = angle of reflection & Snells Law) or would its new trajectory be random. From what I've understood from lectures, the laws of reflection and refraction only work because of the interference between the millions(?) of photons that hit the interface.

[Qfwfq]

Uhm, it isn't interference between the millions of photons, no, the interference occurs for single photons. This can be demonstrated by a classic 20th century experiment which is often performed in labs by university students. I did so, back in the '80s, with a couple of other students. One thing to understand about quantum mechanics is that the outcome will be random for the individual case, the interference determines probability. It takes some good math to understand it properly.

[trapit]

As there is an interaction with the surface changes during the process' the trajectory cannot be completely random.And as to my knowledge, i think the law works with every photon,but the thing is that the probability of the predicted movement or measurement will decrease.

[arkain101]

Speaking of photons,

 

Why is it that no matter what kind of element, when it is heated up enough it shines the same red glow, to orange and then onward.

 

Different materials all reflect different frequencies of light (hence the color) and absorb different frequencies, but all materials emmit generally the same frequency of visible light when they are excited enough.

[Qfwfq]

Why is it that no matter what kind of element, when it is heated up enough it shines the same red glow, to orange and then onward.

Black body spectrum, explained by Max Planck by his hypothethis which led to the development of quantum mechanics.

 

Before Planck's hypothesis the spectrum couldn't be explained because of the so-called ultraviolet catastrophy. By supposing that high frequency waves can't be in arbitrarily small energies, Planck proposed the explanation of the observed distribution of frequencies. And how correct his explanation has turned out to be!!!!

[Tomo]

Uhm, it isn't interference between the millions of photons, no, the interference occurs for single photons. This can be demonstrated by a classic 20th century experiment which is often performed in labs by university students. I did so, back in the '80s, with a couple of other students. One thing to understand about quantum mechanics is that the outcome will be random for the individual case, the interference determines probability. It takes some good math to understand it properly.

 

 

Thanks for that. I forgot about the double slit experiment where one photon interferes with itself to produce an interference distribution (which I guess is the experiment that you were referring to).