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Published byMatthew Rogers Modified over 6 years ago
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THEORIES OF LIGHT Is light a wave or a stream of particles?
Let’s first analyze characteristics behaviors of light as a wave: All waves are known to undergo reflection or the bouncing off of an obstacle.
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All waves are known to undergo refraction when they pass from one medium to another medium.
Diffraction involves a change in direction of waves as they pass through an opening or around an obstacle in their path.
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Wave interference is a phenomenon that occurs when two waves meet while traveling along the same medium. Polarized light waves are light waves in which the vibrations occur in a single plane. The process of transforming un-polarized light into polarized light is known as polarization.
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Now what about the particle-like behavior?
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The photoelectric effect is observed when light of a certain frequency strikes a metal and ejects electrons.
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Interference Phenomenon Photoelectric effect
Can be explained in terms of waves. Can be explained in terms of particles. Reflection Refraction Interference Diffraction Polarization Photoelectric effect
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THEORIES OF LIGHT Newton's theory - light consists of particles called corpuscles; this theory only explained reflection and refraction. Wave theory of light (Maxwell's theory) - light behaves like a wave; this explained all the properties of light such as reflection, refraction, diffraction, interference and polarization; it did not explain the photoelectric effect or radiation produced by an incandescent light. Quantum theory - light has a dual nature: when light is transmitted through space or matter, it behaves like a wave; when light is emitted or absorbed, it behaves like a particle called a photon.
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ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES
Electromagnetic waves are waves that are capable of traveling through a vacuum. They consist of oscillating electric and magnetic fields with different wavelengths. The wave speed equation is: c = f λ where c is the speed of light.
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The Electromagnetic Spectrum
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Wavelengths
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