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    Light Waves

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    Troi John
    Light can be described as a wave and a particle. It is a form of electromagnetic radiation that exhibits wave-like properties like wavelength, frequency, and speed. Light interacts with matter in both wave-like and particle-like ways. The visible light spectrum ranges from violet to red wavelengths. Color is perceived when light triggers different cone cell receptors in the eye. The primary additive and subtractive colors are used to produce other hues. Interference of light waves can also result in structural colors seen in oil slicks and insect shells.

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    Light Waves

    Uploaded by

    Troi John
    72 views15 pages
    Light can be described as a wave and a particle. It is a form of electromagnetic radiation that exhibits wave-like properties like wavelength, frequency, and speed. Light interacts with matter in both wave-like and particle-like ways. The visible light spectrum ranges from violet to red wavelengths. Color is perceived when light triggers different cone cell receptors in the eye. The primary additive and subtractive colors are used to produce other hues. Interference of light waves can also result in structural colors seen in oil slicks and insect shells.

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    Light wave

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    Light can be described as a wave and a particle. It is a form of electromagnetic radiation that exhibits wave-like properties like wavelength, frequency, and speed. Light interacts with matter in both wave-like and particle-like ways. The visible light spectrum ranges from violet to red wavelengths. Color is perceived when light triggers different cone cell receptors in the eye. The primary additive and subtractive colors are used to produce other hues. Interference of light waves can also result in structural colors seen in oil slicks and insect shells.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    72 views15 pages

    Light Waves

    Uploaded by

    Troi John
    Light can be described as a wave and a particle. It is a form of electromagnetic radiation that exhibits wave-like properties like wavelength, frequency, and speed. Light interacts with matter in both wave-like and particle-like ways. The visible light spectrum ranges from violet to red wavelengths. Color is perceived when light triggers different cone cell receptors in the eye. The primary additive and subtractive colors are used to produce other hues. Interference of light waves can also result in structural colors seen in oil slicks and insect shells.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 15

    Light waves

    • What is light?
    • The electromagnetic spectrum
    • Waves
    • Wave equations
    • Light as electromagnetic radiation
    • Polarisation
    • Colour
    • Colour addition
    • Colour subtraction
    • Interference & structural colour

    Light waves - 2 VCE Physics.com


    What is light?

    • The question of what is light was a matter of great debate during the
    17th and 18th century.
    • Sir Isaac Newton believed that light was a stream of particles.
    • Christian Huygens proposed that light travelled as waves.
    • In the end, it was found that light has both particle & wave properties.
    • Light travels as a wave, but interacts with objects as a particle.

    Huygen’s Principle
    Light waves - 3 VCE Physics.com
    The electromagnetic spectrum

    • We now know that light is a form of electromagnetic radiation.


    • It is produced as electrons give off bursts of energy (photons).
    • Higher energy radiation has a shorter wavelength, higher frequency.

    Light waves - 4 VCE Physics.com


    The visible spectrum

    • “Black-body” light sources emit a full spectrum of light.


    • Other sources such as heated gases emit only certain wavelengths.
    • If the light passes through the gas, those same wavelengths will be
    absorbed.

    Blackbody radiation spectrum

    400 nm 750 nm
    Gas emission spectrum

    The wavelengths emitted are the same that are absorbed by the element.
    Light waves - 5 VCE Physics.com
    Waves

    A snapshot in time:
    intensity varies with distance.
    At one point:
    Peak intensity varies with time.

    Amplitude
    Distance (m)
    Time (s)

    Trough
    Wavelength
    Period

    Light waves - 6 VCE Physics.com


    Wave equations

    v =f !
    λ = wavelength (m)
    v = wave speed (m/s)
    (dependent on material)

    f = frequency (Hz)

    1
    f=
    T period (s)

    Speed of light: c = 3.00 x 108 m/s


    Light waves - 7 VCE Physics.com
    Wave equations

    • A radio station has the frequency 95.3 MHz


    • What is the of wavelength of the radio waves?

    v
    v =f ! !=
    f
    8
    3.00"10 m /s
    != 6
    95.3"10 Hz

    ! = 3.15m

    Light waves - 8 VCE Physics.com


    Light as electromagnetic radiation

    • Light is a part of the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves →


    gamma radiation).
    • Visible light is violet (~400nm) → red (~750nm).
    • Electromagnetic radiation is a transverse wave with perpendicular
    alternating electrical and magnetic fields.
    • Electromagnetic radiation is polarised. The oscillations occur in
    defined planes.

    Light waves - 9 VCE Physics.com


    Polarisation

    • The electric & magnetic fields of electromagnetic radiation each have


    an orientation.
    • Polaroid filters have a crystal structure that allows through only one
    orientation of electromagnetic waves.
    • Two polaroid filters at right angles will block all light.

    Light waves - 10 VCE Physics.com


    Polarisation

    Uses of polaroid filters:


    • Polaroid glasses reduce water glare. (Water glare is horizontally
    polarised.)
    • Modern 3D cinemas use polarisation to create 3D images. Two offset
    images in different polarisation are projected - each eye is covered by
    a differently polarised lens.
    • Light from stressed material surfaces will be polarised.

    Light waves - 11 VCE Physics.com


    Colour

    • Our eyes have colour sensitive cone cells.


    • There are different receptors for red, green & blue wavelengths.
    • Red, green & blue are the primary colours of light.
    • Spectral wavelengths trigger all three colour receptors; the same
    combination of RGB will look the same to our eyes.

    Yellow light triggers


    both red & green
    receptors.

    Light waves - 12 VCE Physics.com


    Colour addition

    • Red, green & blue are the primary additive colours of light.
    • Other colours are made by combining light of these colours.

    red + green = yellow


    green + blue = cyan
    blue + red = magenta

    red + blue + green = white

    Light waves - 13 VCE Physics.com


    Colour subtraction

    • Coloured paints or filters selectively remove colours.


    • Some wavelengths will be absorbed; others will be reflected /
    transmitted.
    • Magenta, cyan & yellow are the primary subtractive colours.
    Magenta filter Cyan filter Yellow filter

    White light Magenta light Blue light No light

    Light waves - 14 VCE Physics.com


    Colour subtraction

    • Magenta, cyan & yellow are the primary colours of paint & ink.
    • Other colours of pigments are made by combining inks of these
    colours.

    yellow + cyan = green


    yellow + magenta = red
    cyan + magenta = blue

    cyan + magenta + yellow = black

    Light waves - 15 VCE Physics.com


    Interference & structural colour

    • Colour absorption is not the only way that colours are seen.
    • The colours in oil slick come from the interference of light waves
    travelling microscopically further (half a wavelength) to reflect of the
    bottom and cancel out particular wavelengths.
    • Cancelling out red wavelengths gives a blue / green (cyan) colour.
    • This also happens on the surface of many insect shells.

    Light waves - 16 VCE Physics.com

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