Quantum Field Theory - The Photon Is Massless, and It Has No Potential Energy

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Quantum field theory says the mass of a field is the energy you get just from having a value, not necessarily from changing. But for something like the photon, there's no potential energy. There's no energy associated with the field having a value. That's why the Higgs field takes on a non-zero value in empty space. The lowest energy state is not at zero field value.

Welcome to the October 2022 Ask Me Anything episode of Mindscape! These monthly excursions are funded by Patreon supporters (who are also the ones asking the questions). We take questions asked by Patreons, whittle them down to a more manageable number — based primarily on whether I have anything interesting to say about them, not whether the questions themselves are good — and sometimes group them together if they are about a similar topic. Enjoy!

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