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A photon is a tiny packet of energy that light is made of. In physics you learn that light can act like a wave, and it can also act like a stream of these little packets; each packet is one photon.
A photon is a tiny packet of energy光子是一個微小能量包， that light is made of是組成光的東西。 In physics you learn在物理課裡你會學到， that light can act like a wave光可以表現得像一種波， and it can also act like a stream of these little packets也可以表現得像一連串這種小能量包； each packet is one photon每一個小包就是一個光子。
A photon has zero mass. It cannot sit still: in empty space it always travels at the speed of light. The energy it carries is what lets sunlight warm your skin, or knock an electron free in a solar panel.
A photon has zero mass光子沒有質量。 It cannot sit still它無法靜止： in empty space it always travels at the speed of light在真空裡它永遠以光速前進。 The energy it carries它攜帶的能量， is what lets sunlight warm your skin, or knock an electron free in a solar panel就是讓陽光能曬暖你的皮膚、或是在太陽能板裡把電子撞出來的原因。
Though actually, use the same word for this kind of packet in all electromagnetic radiation, not only the light your eyes can see — radio , microwaves, X-rays.
Though actually不過， physicists use the same word for this kind of packet in all electromagnetic radiation物理學家對所有電磁輻射裡的這種能量包都用同一個字， not only the light your eyes can see不只是你眼睛看得見的光—— radio waves, microwaves, X-rays無線電波、微波、X光都算。
It is a classroom and lab word. People do not say it when they ask you to turn on the lamp.
It is a classroom and lab word這是個課堂和實驗室用的字。 People do not say it人們不會用這個字， when they ask you to turn on the lamp在請你開燈的時候。
組成photo- (light) + -on (a physics ending for a tiny particle). An American physicist, Leonard Troland, coined it in 1916 as a unit of light hitting the eye. Gilbert N. Lewis later used it in the modern physics sense, and by the late 1920s other physicists had accepted the word.
同家族的字
- photographsame photo-: light
- electron-on is the usual ending for this kind of tiny physics particle
- protonsame -on particle ending
原始詞典資料1 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
photonnoun/ˈfəʊtɒn/
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natural-sciencesphysical-sciencesphysicsThe quantum of light and other electromagnetic energy, regarded as a discrete particle having zero rest mass, no electric charge, and an indefinitely long lifetime. It is a gauge boson.
- The single-imaging optic of the mammalian eye offers some distinct visual advantages. Such lenses can take in photons from a wide range of angles, increasing light sensitivity. They also have high spatial resolution, resolving incoming images in minute detail.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。