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Nature of Light

This document provides an overview of the theories about the nature of light that have developed over centuries. It discusses Isaac Newton's corpuscular theory that light consists of particles, Christian Huygens' wave theory that light is a wave, Thomas Young's findings supporting the wave theory, Maxwell's theory that light is an electromagnetic wave, Einstein's discovery that light behaves as particles in the photoelectric effect, and the modern view that light has both wave and particle properties. The document also describes different sources of light including incandescent, fluorescent, gas discharge, and bioluminescent sources.

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217 views4 pages

Nature of Light

This document provides an overview of the theories about the nature of light that have developed over centuries. It discusses Isaac Newton's corpuscular theory that light consists of particles, Christian Huygens' wave theory that light is a wave, Thomas Young's findings supporting the wave theory, Maxwell's theory that light is an electromagnetic wave, Einstein's discovery that light behaves as particles in the photoelectric effect, and the modern view that light has both wave and particle properties. The document also describes different sources of light including incandescent, fluorescent, gas discharge, and bioluminescent sources.

Uploaded by

alleaheunice29
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Module # 1

SES10
(Waves and Optics)
Date:
Semester: 2nd (FINALS)

Topic: NATURE OF LIGHT


Module Title: Theories about the Nature of Light
Learning Targets:
 Trace about the development of the theories about the nature of light
 Describe the dual nature of light (wave and particle characteristics)
 Identify the different sources of light
Reference/s:
Padua,A.&Crisostomo,R. Practical and Explorational Physics (Modular Approach).Vibal Publishing House,
Inc.2007
Sotto.R.Physics. SIBS Publishing House,Inc. 2006

Concepts:
Most of the things we know we have learned about through our eyes. We can only see if there is light.
Light makes us see shapes and colors. But what is light? Is it matter or is it energy? Is it a particle or a
wave? Do you know that for centuries, scientists disagreed about the nature of light?
Light is energy that is emitted by accelerating electric charges – often electrons in atoms. This energy travels in a wave that
is partly electric and partly magnetic.

Light is a particle Light is a wave

In 1666, Sir Isaac Newton discovered that Christian Huygens, A Dutch physicist ( 1629 -
white light is made up of seven colors and that 1695), proposed the WAVE THEORY to explain the
formation of shadows indicates that light travels in a propagation of light.
straight line. He suggested that light is a train of waves similar
He proposed the CORPUSCULAR THEORY to those that result from dropping an object into a
of light. According to this theory, light consists of pool of water.
corpuscles or tiny particles shooting out like tiny
bullets from a source and travels in straight lines
through space.

In 1801, Thomas Young discovered the diffraction and interference of light which can be explained
only in terms of the wave theory.

Electromagnetic waves are disturbances caused by both electric and magnetic effects. According to
James Clerk Maxwell, light is that small part of the electromagnetic spectrum which affects our vision.
Light is propagated in space as electromagnetic waves. This is known as the Electromagnetic Wave
Theory of light. This theory was confirmed by Heinrich Hertz, a German physicist, when he showed that
light and other electrically generated waves were the same nature except that they differ in wavelength and
frequency.
Visible Light is a small portion of the electromagnetic wave. The range of electromagnetic waves is called electromagnetic
spectrum.

In photoelectric effect, Albert Einstein discovered that light shining on certain metals can make
electron jumps out of the metal. Brighter light can make more electrons jump, but they jump out at the
same speed. However, different colors of light make electrons jump out at different speed. Scientists could
explain these observations if light was made up of particles of energy called photons.

Based on this, the Quantum Theory was proposed by Max Planck in 1900 and advanced by Albert
Einstein in 1905. This theory assumes that light is radiated in discrete packets or bundles of energy called,
photons, which also exhibit wave characteristics.

Based on the scientists’ investigations of different behaviors of light, it is now considered to have dual
characteristics, that of a wave and that of a particle.
However, these two behaviors can only be observed under different conditions.
In general, if light interacts with light such as interference, it manifests wave behavior. If light interacts
with matter like in photoelectric effect, the particle or photon behavior is strongly manifested.
* Light of higher frequencies shows more of particle behavior while light of lower frequencies
shows more of the wavelike behavior.

PRODUCING VISIBLE LIGHT


In the absence of light, no one can see anything. Most of the objects you see are visible because they
reflect light.
An object that can be seen because it reflects light waves is an illuminated object. The moon is an
illuminated object seen because sunlight is reflected off its surface. Same as with reflectors.

On the other hand, the sun and stars send out their own light. An object that gives off its own light
because of the energy of its oscillating particles is called a luminous object.
Sources of light are hot bodies that radiate light. They are classified as thermal, gas discharge and
luminescent.
Incandescent light is light emitted by hot objects such as the sun and other stars, the flame from a
burner and the filament of an electric lamp. It can give off all the colors of visible light depending on the
temperature of the material. *Lower temperatures produce longer wavelengths (reddish colors) and the
higher temperature produce shorter wavelengths (bluish colors).
Fluorescent light is cooler and uses less electricity than incandescent light. The inside of a fluorescent
lamp is coated with phosphor which absorbs ultraviolet energy and glows to produce visible light.
Some gases can be made to produce light by passing an electric current through them. This process is
called electric discharge through ionized gas.
Some living organisms like fireflies, produce their own light in a process called bioluminescence. This
occurs as a result of chemical reaction among proteins and oxygen in the organism.

Exercises: Answer the following questions.


1. Why do we considered light as an integral part of our life?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________ .
2. Give at least 5 importance of light.
a.______________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________
c. ______________________________________________
d. ______________________________________________
e. ______________________________________________

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