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Dec 7, 2022 · Waves of Light. Light has the properties of waves. Like ocean waves, light waves have crests and troughs. The distance between one crest and the next, which is the same as the distance between one trough and the next, is called the wavelength.
Light is a transverse, electromagnetic wave that can be seen by the typical human. The wave nature of light was first illustrated through experiments on diffraction and interference . Like all electromagnetic waves, light can travel through a vacuum.
Knowing about the wave nature of light helps us interpret the different types of light that astronomical objects emit. In turn, this allows us to employ those waves to learn more about the processes that affect the formation and evolution of stars, galaxies, and the Universe itself.
Examples of light include radio and infrared waves, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, and X-rays. Interestingly, not all light phenomena can be explained by Maxwell’s theory. Experiments performed early in the twentieth century showed that light has corpuscular, or particle-like, properties.
Nov 14, 2024 · light, electromagnetic radiation that can be detected by the human eye. Electromagnetic radiation occurs over an extremely wide range of wavelengths, from gamma rays with wavelengths less than about 1 × 10 −11 metre to radio waves measured in metres.
Nov 14, 2024 · Light - Wavelength, Frequency, Amplitude: From ripples on a pond to deep ocean swells, sound waves, and light, all waves share some basic characteristics. Broadly speaking, a wave is a disturbance that propagates through space.
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For example, a plane wave is a light wave that travels through space with all of the wave crests and troughs aligned in straight lines. If we want to draw a plane wave, we can draw a line where the wave crests are, and note that they form parallel lines in space.
