National League for Nursing (NLN PAX) Exam 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

In quantum physics, light is understood to be composed of small packets of energy known as photons. This concept stems from quantum theory, where light behaves both as a wave and as a particle. Photons carry quantized amounts of energy, which is directly proportional to the frequency of the light wave. This is a fundamental principle that helps explain various phenomena such as the photoelectric effect, where light can eject electrons from a material.

The other choices do not accurately represent the fundamental particles of light. Rays refer to a concept in optics related to the straight-line propagation of light. Newtons are units of force in physics related to mass and acceleration and have no connection to the composition of light. Atoms are the basic building blocks of matter, comprising protons, neutrons, and electrons, but they do not describe the packets of energy emitted by electromagnetic radiation. Therefore, photons are the correct term to describe the energy packets that make up light in quantum physics.