The Coulomb force in the classical sense is understood in terms of electric fields. However, in quantum mechanics, the Coulomb force is described in terms of exchange of virtual photons between the charged particles. Why doesn't the creation of the virtual photons violate the principle of conservation of energy?
A) This is because in quantum mechanics energy is not conserved.
B) The uncertainty principle, , allows photons to be created provided they are absorbed within the time interval Δt.
C) The photons do not have any energy since they are massless.
D) The virtual photons are not real photons and hence do not carry any energy.
E) None of these is correct.

Question

The Coulomb force in the classical sense is understood in terms of electric fields. However, in quantum mechanics, the Coulomb force is described in terms of exchange of virtual photons between the charged particles. Why doesn't the creation of the virtual photons violate the principle of conservation of energy?
A) This is because in quantum mechanics energy is not conserved. 
B) The uncertainty principle, , allows photons to be created provided they are absorbed within the time interval Δt. 
C) The photons do not have any energy since they are massless. 
D) The virtual photons are not real photons and hence do not carry any energy. 
E) None of these is correct.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the uncertainty principle, virtual photons can be created as long as they are absorbed within the time interval Δt, which is allowed since they are virtual and not real photons. This does not violate the principle of conservation of energy.

The Coulomb Force in the Classical Sense Is Understood in Terms