INTRODUCTI

ON
TO LIGHTS

What is Light?
Light

is a form of energy.
Light has properties of both a wave and
a particle.
Light waves move as transverse waves.
These

waves move extremely fast in straight

paths called rays

Light

waves do not need a medium

through which to move.
Light waves are electromagnetic waves

Light Waves vs. Sound Waves

LIGHT

WAVES

It move as transverse waves

It do not need a medium to travel; they
can travel through empty space

Light Waves vs. Sound Waves

SOUND

WAVES

Are compressional, or longitudinal

Sound waves need a medium to travel;
they cannot travel through empty space.

BEHAVIORAL
CHARACTERIST
ICS OF LIGHT

Light exhibits certain behaviors that are

characteristic of any wave and would be difficult to
explain with a purely particle-view. Light reflects in
the same manner that any wave would reflect. Light
refracts in the same manner that any wave would
refract. Light diffracts in the same manner that any
wave would diffract. Light undergoesinterferencein
the same manner that any wave would interfere.
And light exhibitsthe Doppler effectjust as any
wave would exhibit the Doppler effect. Light behaves
in a way that is consistent with our conceptual and
mathematical understanding of waves. Since light
behaves like a wave, one would have good reason to
believe that it might be a wave.

REFLECTION
All waves are known to
undergoreflectionor 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 reflecting surface is
equal to the angle at which the wave
leaves the surface. This characteristic
is observed for water waves and sound
waves. It is also observed for light
waves. Light, like any wave, follows the
law of reflection when bouncing off
surfaces.

REFRACTION

All waves are known to

undergorefractionwhen they pass from one
medium to another medium. That is, when a wave
front crosses the boundary between two media,
the direction that the wave front is moving
undergoes a sudden change; the path is "bent.
Refraction is the bending of light rays when
passing through a surface between one
transparent material and another.
This behavior of wave refraction can be
described byboth conceptual and mathematical
principles. First, the direction of "bending" is
dependent upon the relative speed of the two
media. Second, the amount of bending is
dependent upon the actual speeds of the two
media on each side of the boundary.
These equations are based upon the speeds
of the wave in the two media and the angles at
which the wave approaches and departs from the
boundary. Light, like any wave, is known to refract
as it passes from one medium into another
medium.

DIFFRACTION
It involves a change in direction
of waves as they pass through an
opening or around an obstacle in
their path.
When light encounters an
obstacle in its path, the obstacle
blocks the light and tends to cause
the formation of a shadow in the
region behind the obstacle. Light
does not exhibit a very noticeable
ability to bendaround the obstacle
and fill in the region behind it with
light. Nonetheless, light does
diffract around obstacles. In fact, if
you observe a shadow carefully,
you will notice that its edges are
extremely fuzzy.

References:
http://

camillasenior.homestead.com/optics3.ht
ml
http://
www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/light/
u12l1b.cfm