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What is the Smallest Visible Particle?

Published in Particle Physics 1 min read

The smallest particle that scientists have ever seen directly is a photon.

According to research, photons, the fundamental particles of light, hold the distinction of being the smallest particles directly observed by scientists. This observation has significant implications for understanding the nature of light and the quantum world.

  • Photon Observation: Scientists have successfully observed photons, confirming their existence as discrete packets of energy and light. This aligns with the understanding of photons as fundamental constituents of electromagnetic radiation.

  • Significance: The direct observation of photons reinforces the wave-particle duality of light, where light exhibits properties of both waves and particles.

  • Challenge: Visualizing objects at the atomic or subatomic scale presents significant challenges because the wavelengths of visible light are much larger than atoms or subatomic particles.

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