Does Light Have Mass?
Answer – No, light does not have mass. It does, however, have momentum and energy.
Explanation:
Light is composed of packets of energy called photons. These are said to have zero rest mass (measured when an object is stationary). If photons did have a mass, light’s electric and magnetic forces would be weakened with increasing distance, which is not the case.
Photons do, however, possess mass-like properties such as energy and momentum. Due to the absence of mass, their energy is given by the equation E = hf, where h is Planck’s constant and f is the frequency of the photons. The momentum, which is proportional to the energy, is given by the formula p = E/c. Here, E represents the energy of the photons and c represents the speed of light.
Therefore, light, which comprises photons, possesses no mass but has mass and energy.
