Originally posted by: LeatherNeck
Light is a particle and a wave. Light is an electromagnetic wave but also has particle properties in the form of photons. Light also has momentum to it. Photons have zero mass at rest, hence they do not become infinitely massive at the speed they travel (according to Relativity) yet they still have momentum even though momentum is typically directly proportional to mass.
How little do you know of the physical properties and mechanics of light? If you simply take the two properties of light, you will logically come to the same conclusions scientists and astronomists have for the past 100 years
"In order to answer it we need to establish some
definitions first. The definition of matter is usually taken to be: anything
that has mass and occupies space or has volume. The definition of light is
those wavelengths of electromagnetic energy that can stimulate the retina of
the eye. Light is a small part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
This link will show you the elactromacnetic spectrum and its wavelengths.
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
The above definitions are fine but what do they mean. Mass is a quantity
that all matter posseses. When that mass is in the presence of a gravitational
field the mass will have weight.
Now that the definitions are there let's see if we can put them together to
answer your question. If light has mass and has a volume then it is matter,
if neither are true then light is not matter. We have been experimenting
with light for a long time. We have not been able to detect any mass
associated with light. Light does react to gravity but we have found no
evidence yet that it has mass. So it fails in the first test.
Does light take up space? We have no evidence that I am aware of that light
takes up space. Light can an will interact with matter in various ways.
When the sun shines on your skin it feels warm. We use micro waves to cook
food. You can think up other examples yourself.
Light and mass are related. According to Einstein's famous equation E=mc^2.
This tells us that mass can be converted into energy. The electromagnetic
spectrum is a result of this mass to energy conversion going on in the stars.
This is how our sun produces its energy.
So, is light matter?
To put it in more simple terms, light is energy and matter is made up of
atoms.
Keep asking questions."
On a lighter side, I will explain the reasoning behind my theory of a black hole being composed of energy, not matter. Let's say we take a marble block and let it drift into a black hole's gravitational field. As the block apporaches the point of singularity (POS), the momentum you describe will indeed convert the mass to energy as it appraches the speed of light, C. When this happens, when matter becomes energy, massive amounts of energy are released. Now, if this energy scatters as it would in a fusion reaction, the resulting light would have no, or very little significant mass, HOWEVER: if the matter is already in a field of gravity strong enough to accelerate to the speed of light, and to maintain a gravitation pull greater than the speed of light (hence the black hole), then the escaping energy from the matter conversion would also be pulled into the POS. We know light can be bent by the anomaly we witness when a dense planet comes between the sun and out observable gaze (i.e jupiter, from a satelitte) Therefor, with no escpaing energy, mass must be conserved. So the gaining gravitational mass we observe in a black hole is actually not mass, but a greater concentration fo nergy orbiting around the POS much like an atom's electrons.