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May 24, 2024 · We know that light is a wave based on how it behaves – it exhibits the same properties of other waves we have examined – it interferes with itself, it follows an inverse-square law for intensity (brightness), and so on.
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.
Light Waves - BBC Bitesize. What are light waves? Light is a type of electromagnetic radiation that can be detected by the eye. It travels as a transverse wave. Unlike a sound waves,...
- 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...
For example, when visible light encounters anything large enough that we can observe it with unaided eyes, such as a coin, it acts like a ray, with generally negligible wave characteristics. In all of these cases, we can model the path of light as straight lines.
Much like Aristotle, he believed that light was a disturbance that traveled through the plenum, like a wave that travels through water. Pierre Gassendi, a contemporary of Descartes, challenged this theory, asserting that light was made up of discrete particles.
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Is light a wave or a particle? How is it created? And why can’t humans see the whole spectrum of light? All your questions answered.