In the Theory of Special Relativity, the momentum of a massless particle is equal to which of the following?
A. m0c^2
B. E2c^2
C. E/c
D. E/c^2
To determine the momentum of a massless particle in the Theory of Special Relativity, we need to recall the equation that relates energy (E) and momentum (p). In this case, we can use the following equation:
E^2 = (pc)^2 + (mc^2)^2
Where:
E = energy of the particle
p = momentum of the particle
c = speed of light in vacuum
m = mass of the particle (in this case, since the particle is massless, m = 0)
Since the particle is massless (m = 0), we can simplify the equation to:
E^2 = (pc)^2
Next, we solve for the momentum (p):
(pc)^2 = E^2
p^2c^2 = E^2
p^2 = E^2 / c^2
p = sqrt(E^2 / c^2)
Taking the square root of both sides, we get:
p = E / c
Therefore, the momentum of a massless particle is equal to E/c.
So, the correct answer is option C: E/c.