What happens to photons when a light is off?

[Mebzy]

Sorry for my stupidity (as I'm in my young days of learning) but is was wondering about what happens to photons when you turn off a light since photons is light.

Edited November 8, 2012 by Mebzy

[timo]

They don't exist, as photons are light (at least in some sense). To pick out what probably is your conceptual problem: Unlike what you expect from a particle like a rubber ball, photons can be created and un-created in physical processes.

[swansont]

Any photons you've already created continue on their merry way, since they are quite independent of the source once they exist.

[timo]

... guess interpreting "when you switch off the light" as "there is no light" was too much common sense and not pedantic enough.

[swansont]

... guess interpreting "when you switch off the light" as "there is no light" was too much common sense and not pedantic enough.

I just wanted to cover the other possibility. One never knows the model any single person has in their head about how nature works. With such a basic question I don't want to assume everyone knows that light doesn't have to continually be pushed by the light behind it. You never know. They might think it's like water in a pipe; you close a valve and the flow stops.

[derek w]

This is just the visible spectrum that our eyes can see.