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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 called an 'electromagnetic wave' for historical reasons* in the following sense: It turned out that the effects of visible light and other radiation can be calculated using Maxwell's equations, which are also used to model the behaviour of electrically charged particles. This was an instant of a successful unification and it hasn't ...
They discovered that light from any source, whether a candle or a star, is composed of a combination of wavelengths depending on what atoms and molecules are emitting the light. This science (spectroscopy) allows astronomers to determine what elements must be present on the surface of a given star.
Currently light is thought of both as a wave and being made up of particles (photons), because as Robert mentioned in his answer, certain phenomena require modelling light as a wave to explain (interference, diffraction etc.), and others require photons (such as the photo-electric effect).
When we’re thinking of light as being made of particles, these particles are called “photons”. Photons have no mass, and each one carries a specific amount of energy. Meanwhile, when we think...
The light particle conceived by Einstein is called a photon. The main point of his light quantum theory is the idea that light's energy is related to its oscillation frequency (known as frequency in the case of radio waves). Oscillation frequency is equal to the speed of light divided by its wavelength.
If light is a particle, then why does it refract when travelling from one medium to another? And if light is a wave, then why does it dislodge electrons ? But all behavior of light can be explained by combining the two models: light behaves like particles and light behaves like waves.
People also ask
Why is light called an 'electromagnetic wave'?
Is light a particle or a wave?
Is light a wave or a molecule?
Is light a wave?
What is the wave theory of light?
What is the history of light?
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.
