NEETPhysicsDual Nature of Matter
Given below are two statements: one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other is labelled as Reason (R). Assertion (A): In a photon-particle collision, the total energy and total momentum are conserved, but the number of photons may not be conserved. Reason (R): During a collision with matter, a photon may be completely absorbed or a new photon may be created. In the light of the above statements, choose the most ap
Options
- ABoth Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are correct and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A)
- BBoth Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are correct but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A)
- CAssertion (A) is correct but Reason (R) is incorrect
- DAssertion (A) is incorrect but Reason (R) is correct
Correct answer
A. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are correct and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A)
Step-by-step solution
According to the photon picture of electromagnetic radiation, in any photon-particle collision (such as a photon-electron collision), the fundamental conservation laws of total energy and total momentum hold strictly true. However, unlike classical particles, photons can be created or destroyed. During an interaction with matter, an existing photon may be completely absorbed by an electron, or a new photon may be emitted. Therefore, the total number of photons is not a conserved quantity. Thus, both Assertion (A) a