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Quantum mechanics defines a photon as basic unit of an electromagnetic radiation and therefore, they assume it is massless because if it wasn’t Einstein tells us it could not move at the speed of light. But if it has no mass, it also has no Energy because his equation E=mc^2 tells us energy is equivalent to mass. Some have used a mathematical argument the equation E=mc^2 is a special case of the more general equation: E2 = p2c2 + m2c4 which for a particle with no mass (m = 0), reduces down to E = pc. Therefore, because photons (particles of light) have no mass, they must obey E = pc and they get all of their energy from their momentum.  However, the “p” in the equation NOT ONLY represents the momentum of a photon it also represents the energy associated with its motion. Thus, according to E=mc^2 that energy MUST also be considered mass. Putting it another way it does NOT MATER how we define the energy of a photon the fact that it has energy means it also has mass and therefore, SHOULD NOT be able move at the speed of light.

    Therefore, if it were true electromagnetic energy was propagated by a photon Einstein Theory of Relativity would be invalidated, because it is impossible to use it to define how a particle could propagate energy at that speed.

    However, if one assumes electromagnetic radiation is propagated by a energy Wave in space-time one can use the science of wave mechanics to explain how and why it MUST be propagated at the speed of light and why it observed to have the properties of the particle called a photon.  

This is because the science of wave mechanics tells us waves move energy from one location to another without transporting the material they are moving on. For example a water molecule does not actually travel with the waves but does transmit that movement associated with the wave to the next unit of water. Putting it another way the molecules that make up the wave remain stationary with respect to the back ground of the water. Additionally, it will continue to do so unless it is obstructed by encountering an object or beach.

Similarly, an Electromagnetic Wave in space-time COULD move at the speed of light because it does not move the energy associated with its peaks and valleys it creates in space-time but would transmit them to the next unit of space-time. Putting it another way then units of space time that make up an electromagnetic wave WOULD remain stationary with respect to the background of space time.

    Additionally the velocity of a wave is dependent on the properties of the medium it is moving one.  Therefore, the velocity of a electromagnetic wave would be and MUST dependent on the properties of the space-time environment it is moving through.

    However, one can also use the science of wave mechanics to understand why an electromagnetic wave ALWAYS takes on the form of a particle called a photon if it is prevented from moving through space by an interaction with someone or something.

    The science of wave mechanics along with the fact that Relatively tells us an electromagnetic wave moves continuously through space-time unless it is prevented from doing so by someone observing or interacting with it. This would result in its energy being confined to three-dimensional space. It also tells us the three-dimensional “walls” of this confinement will result in its energy being reflected back on itself thereby creating a resonant or standing wave in three-dimensional space. This would cause its wave energy to be concentrated at the point in space were a particle would be found. Additionally, wave mechanics also tells us the energy of a resonant system, such as a standing wave can only take on the discrete or quantized values associated with its fundamental or a harmonic of its fundamental frequency. This explains how and why an electromagnetic wave becomes the particle called a photon when it is prevented from moving through space time by interacting someone of something.

    This mechanism for the creation of a photon from an electromagnetic wave is consistent with the quantum mechanical observation that the wave properties of energy or the wave function as they like to call it only reduces or COLLAPSES to a photon or quantized unit of energy when it is observed or interacts with something.

    This shows if one assumes that electromagnetic energy is propagated BY a wave NOT by a particle one can not only understand how energy can be propagated though space at the speed of light and why when it interacts with the external world of an observer it APPEARS as a photon in a manner that is consistent with the assumptions of BOTH Quantum Mechanics and Einstein Theory of Relativity.

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