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Transverse wave
- Mathematics and experiments show that light is a transverse wave – the electric and magnetic field vectors point in directions that are perpendicular to the direction of motion of the light wave (and as it turns out, they also rare always perpendicular to each other).
Light is a type of electromagnetic radiation that can be detected by the eye. It travels as a transverse wave. Unlike a sound waves, light waves do not need a medium to pass through, they...
- Reflection of Light Waves
- Refraction of Light Waves
- Diffraction of Light Waves
All waves are known to undergo reflection or the bouncing off of an obstacle. Most people are very accustomed to the fact that light waves also undergo reflection. The reflection of light waves off of a mirrored surface results in the formation of an image. One characteristic of wave reflection is that the angle at which the wave approaches a flat ...
All waves are known to undergo refraction when they pass from one medium to another medium. That is, when a wavefront crosses the boundary between two media, the direction that the wavefront is moving undergoes a sudden change; the path is "bent." This behavior of wave refraction can be described by both conceptual and mathematical principles. Firs...
Reflection involves a change in direction of waves when they bounce off a barrier. Refraction of waves involves a change in the direction of waves as they pass from one medium to another. And diffractioninvolves a change in direction of waves as they pass through an opening or around an obstacle in their path. Water waves have the ability to travel...
When a light ray encounters a surface, one or more of the following three things occur, the light ray: Reflects off the surface and travels off in a different direction. Passes from one medium into the other and continue on a new, straight line path. Is absorbed. Often, more than one of these occur.
Light as a Particle or a Wave. Light has many particle-like behavior traits an in combination with movement (quantum physics and quantum mechanics), it has the ability to travel across large distances, disperse, emit rays, and absorb additional substances. A. Traveling Waves. Defined, a traveling wave of light is known as a self-propagating ...
When we do that, we narrow down all the possible directions of the light wave motion to a single line, which we call a light ray. This is a directed line that originates at the source of light, and ends at the observer of the light:
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When light waves reflect at the top and bottom interfaces of a thin layer of material, an interference effect will occur. This phenomenon is known as thin-film interference. Light will reflect off of both the top and bottom surfaces of the thin film.
