Table of Contents
Wave Nature of Light
Light is electromagnetic radiation that we can see with our eyes. Electromagnetic radiation has a very broad wavelength range, ranging from gamma rays with wavelengths less than about 1 1011 metres to radio waves with wavelengths measured in metres. The wavelengths visible to humans occupy a very narrow band within that broad spectrum, ranging from about 700 nanometres (nm; billionths of a metre) for the red light to about 400 nm for violet light. The spectral regions adjacent to the visible band, infrared at one end and ultraviolet at the other, are also commonly referred to as light. The speed of light in a vacuum is a fundamental physical constant, with the currently accepted value of 299,792,458 metres per second, or approximately 186,282 miles per second.
Light communicates both spatial and temporal information. This property underpins the fields of optics and optical communications, as well as a plethora of related technologies, both mature and emerging. Lasers, holography, and fibre-optic telecommunications systems are examples of light-based technological applications.
In most cases, the properties of light can be derived from classical electromagnetism theory, which describes light as coupled electric and magnetic fields propagating through space as a travelling wave. This wave theory, developed in the mid-nineteenth century, however, is insufficient to explain the properties of light at very low intensities. At that level, a quantum theory is required to explain the properties of light as well as its interactions with atoms and molecules. In its most basic form, quantum theory describes light as discrete packets of energy known as photons.
Wave nature of light According to Newton
Light, according to Newton, is a stream of particles known as corpuscles of light. This could not account for interference and deflection (as Rutherford’s model did), but it did explain reflection and refraction. In his wave theory, Huygen proposed that fights travel in the form of waves, and later, James Maxwell proposed that fights and other radiations are transmitted, with these waves associated with oscillating electric and magnetic fields.
Light has always piqued the interest of philosophers and scientists. However, it wasn’t until the late 17th century that scientists started to understand the properties of light. Sir Isaac Newton proposed that light was composed of tiny particles known as photons, whereas Christian Huygens proposed that light was composed of waves that propagated perpendicular to the direction of its movement. Huygens proposed in 1678 that every point where a luminous disturbance meets becomes a source of the spherical wave itself. The sum of the secondary waves produced by the disturbance determines the shape of the new wave. The ‘Huygens’ Principle’ is the name given to this light theory. Max Planck proposed that light is composed of finite packets of energy known as light quantum, the frequency and velocity of which are affected by the frequency and velocity of light. Later, in 1905, Einstein proposed that light possessed both particle and wave properties. He proposed that light is made up of small particles known as photons. Quantum mechanics demonstrated the dual nature of light.
FAQs
What is the nature of the waves?
One of the most revolutionary ideas in physics is the wave nature of matter. A particle is confined to a specific location, whereas a wave is dispersed throughout space. In this sense, we can say that the nature of light is dependent on our observation.
Question. What are the three different types of light?
Answer: Wave motion has three measurable properties: amplitude, wavelength, and frequency.
Young’s double slit experiment established that light shone through two slits in a screen produces an interference pattern characteristic of waves of light rather than particles.
