MadSci Network: Physics
Query:

Subject: How do particles know where photons come from?

Date: Mon Oct 2 18:12:47 2000
Posted by Paul Henderson
Grade level: 10-12 School: Fortismere
City: London State/Province: No state entered. Country: UK
Area of science: Physics
ID: 970524767.Ph
Message:

Hopefully I can explain better this time:
In a hypothetical situation, an electron interacts with another electron. 
They exchange a photon. How does one of these electrons "know" 
where the photon "came from"? ie: It could have come from a 
positron.
I don't understand how one particle knows whether to be attracted or 
to repel if all they know about the other particle is "It sent a photon to 
me." I think this is simply a conceptual problem on my part, but I don't 
know anyone who knows about these things. And I am loosing sleep!
Thanks for trying to understand this. (I typed the last question wrong)


Re: How do particles know where photons come from?

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