The Dual Nature and Frequency of

Light
 Physical Science
Dual Nature and Frequency of Light
After going through this module, you are expected to:
1. describe how the propagation of light, reflection, and refraction are explained by
the wave model and the particle model of light (S11/12PS-IVf-59) Learning
Objectives:
a. define reflection and refraction of light
b. identify the dual nature of light
c. differentiate wave model and particle model of light

2. explain how the photon concept and the fact that the energy of a photon is
directly proportional to its frequency can be used to explain why red light is
used in photographic dark rooms, why we get easily sunburned in ultraviolet
light but not in visible light, and how we see colors (S11/12PS-IVf-61) Learning
Objectives:
a. define the photon concept
b. discuss how the photon concept and the fact that the energy of a
photon is directly proportional to its frequency can be used to
explain why red light is used in photographic darkrooms, why we
get easily sunburned in ultraviolet light but not in visible light,
and how we see colors
PRE-TEST

Direction: Read each item carefully. Write the letter of the correct answer.

1. What is the bouncing of light as it reaches a reflecting surface or the

boundary between two media?
A. Dispersion B. Interference C. Reflection D. Refraction

2. What do you call the bending of light (it also happens with sound, water,
and other waves) as it passes from one transparent substance into
another?
A. Dispersion B. Interference C. Reflection D. Refraction

3. What nature of light is sometimes called a photon, which explains how

light travel in straight lines?
A. Particle B. Reflection C. Refraction D. Wave

4. Which of the following theory of Sir Isaac Newton states that light was
composed of tiny particles that travel in a straight line and can travel
through a vacuum?
A. Wave Theory B. Diffraction Theory
C. Corpuscle’s Theory D. Electromagnetic Theory

5. Which of the following scientists used prism in his experiment and

observed that the red light refracted the least, whereas the violet light
refracted the most?
A. Isaac Newton B. René Descartes
C. Christiaan Huygens D. James Clerk Maxwell

6. Which of the following scientists produced a rainbow using a water-filled

glass sphere and sunlight and explained that refraction of light caused the
formation of rainbows?
A. Isaac Newton B. René Descartes
C. Christiaan Huygens D. James Clerk Maxwell

7. What is the wavelength of light?

A. 300 nm to 500 nm B. 350 nm to 650 nm
C. 380 nm to 750nm D. 390 nm to 790 nm

8. Which of the following refers to a photon incident to a metal surface and

transfer all its energy to the electron?
A. Photon B. Electromagnetism
C. Photoelectric effect D. Electromagnetic spectrum

9. Who was the scientist who proposed the photoelectric effect?

A. Einstein B. Galileo C. Hertz D. Newton
10. Which type of light do we easily get sunburn?
A. Infrared B. Visible light
C. Microwave light D. Ultraviolet light

11. What theory states that a photon is composed of electromagnetic energy?

A. Photon theory B. Spectrum Theory
C. Photoelectric effect D. Electromagnetic theory

12. Which of the following statements is true? A. Light behaves like

particles.
B. Light behaves like fluid and fabric.
C. Light behaves like particle and wave.
D. Light does not resemble any form of matter.

13. Which of the following situations exemplifies the dispersion property of

light?
A. The image of the flower in a mirror
B. The sparkling glow of the diamond ring
C. The swaying movement of coin under water
D. The rainbow in the sky after the rain shower

14. Why do photographers use red light?

A. Because it has greater energy
B. Because it has lesser energy
C. Because it is a color that absorbs other colors
D. Because it is a color that reflects other colors.

15. Why does a blue t-shirt appear blue?

A. Blue is absorbed by the t-shirt
B. Blue is emitted by the t-shirt
C. Blue is reflected by the t-shirt
D. Blue is refracted by the t-shirt
 Discover

Lesson 1: General Behavior of Light

Reflection and refraction are some of the behaviors of light that can be
explain by both particle and wave models.

Reflection
Like water and sound waves, light is reflected. Reflection is the bouncing of
light when it reaches a reflecting surface or the boundary between two media. The
part of the light coming from source that passes through a medium, such as a
glass pane, is absorbed or scattered. The rest of the light that strikes the boundary
of the medium is partially reflected and transmitted.
The amount of reflected light depends on factors such as the kind of medium the
object is made of, the texture of the surface of the medium, and the angle at which
the light strikes the surface of the medium.
What happens to the light ray as they strike a smooth and shiny surface,
like that of a mirror? When a light ray is reflected, it bounces off the surface. As
shown in figure 1, the line LN represents the reflecting surface; AM is the ray of
incident light on the reflecting surface at M; MB is the direction of the reflected ray
from M; the normal CM is the line drawn perpendicular to LN at M; angle AMC is
the angle of incidence, θᵢ, which is the angle between the incident ray and the
normal CM; and angle CMB is the angle of reflection, θᵣ, which is the angle between
the reflected ray and the normal CM.
C
A
B Angle of Angle of
Incident ray incidence reflection Reflected ray

θᵢ θᵣ

L M N

Figure 1. Diagram of a reflected light

Refraction
When light passes obliquely from one medium to another or when it passes
through different layers of varying densities within the same medium, such as
Earth’s atmosphere, its path is bent from a straight line at the boundary of the
medium where the density changes. This phenomenon is called refraction. It is a
manifestation of the fact that the speed of light slows down upon entering a denser
medium and speeds up when it passes through a less dense medium.
 A straw dipped obliquely in water appears bent at the surface of the water as
shown in figure 4. A person aiming a riffle at a target assumes that light travels in
a straight line. This is true only if the light is transmitted by a medium of uniform
optical density – a property of transparent material that is an inverse measure of
the speed of light through the material.

Figure 2. Refraction of light causes a straw dipped in water to appear bent.

Figure 3 shows how a ray of light bends abruptly at the boundary of two
media of different optical densities. Let us assume that the first medium is air and
the second medium is water, which has a larger optical density than air. The
normal to the surface at the point hit by the incident ray is drawn. As in the case of
refraction, the angle made by the incident ray with the normal is the angle of
incidence (θᵢ), and the angle made by the refracted ray with the same normal is the
angle of refraction (θᵣ). The refracted ray is bent toward the normal. Conversely,
when the optical density of the first medium is more than that of the second
medium, the refracted ray is bent away from the normal.

Normal Normal
Incident ray R efracted ray

θᵢ θᵣ

Air Air
Water Water

θᵣ θᵢ

R efracted ray Incident ray

Figure 3. Bending of light rays between two media with different optical densities

The laws of refraction can then be stated as follows:

1. When a ray of light passes obliquely from a medium of lower optical
density (air) to one of greater optical density (water), it is bent toward the
normal. When a ray of light passes obliquely from a medium of greater
optical density to one of lower optical density, it is refracted away from
the normal.
 2. At the point of incidence, the incident ray, the refracted ray, and the
normal lie in the same plane.
3. The index of refraction is independent of the angle of incidence, and is
constant for any homogeneous medium. The refractive index of a
material, n, is the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum, c, and the
speed of light in that material, v: n=c/v. Note that c = 3.00 × 10⁸ m/s
and v is a value of speed that is always lower than c. Thus, n is always
greater than 1.

Dual Nature of Light

Light has a dual nature, sometimes it behaves like a particle (called a photon)
which explains how light travels in straight lines and sometimes it behaves like a
wave, which explains how light bends (or diffracts) around an object.
René Descartes and Isaac Newton were the two scientists who studied the
behavior of light. They conducted experiments using a prism separately to explain
the emergence of the colors of light. Descartes believed to wave model, whereas
Newton believed to particle model. Christiaan Huygens would later have wave
model that was quite different from that of Descartes.

1. Particle Model
• In an experiment conducted by Isaac Newton (1643–1727) that
involves prism, he observed that the red light refracted the least,
whereas the violet light refracted the most. According to Newton, this
difference in refraction occurred due to the differences in the mass of
the colors of light. He also proposed the corpuscular theory of light,
which states that light was composed of tiny particles called
corpuscles that travel in straight line and can travel through a
vacuum.
• Violet corpuscles are the least massive and deflected the most while
red light corpuscles are the most massive and deflected the least.
• Reflection was explained as the bouncing of light corpuscles on a
surface similar to a ball. Corpuscles traveling side-by-side would hit
the reflecting surface at different times, causing reversal of image.
• Refraction was explained by the presence of a force at the interface of
two media. This force was directed toward the medium with higher
refractive index and could deflect the path of corpuscles.
 Figure 4. Reflection and Refraction according to particle model

2. Wave Model
A. René Descartes (1596-1650)
• He studied and explained the concept of refraction with the
assumption that light is a wave. In one of his experiments, he
produced a rainbow by using a water-filled glass sphere and
sunlight. He explained that refraction of light caused the formation
of rainbows.
• He studied the refraction and emergence of colors of light in a
prism. Based on his study, he observed that the different colors of
light are refracted at varying degrees and also noted that the red
light refracted more than the violet light.
• He also explained the wave nature of light using the concept of the
plenum, an invisible that substance occupies all space not
occupied by matter. This plenum was made of small spherical
particles that rotate with the same speed, and he thought that
light was a disturbance traveling through the plenum.
• Descartes noted that when these particles passed through the
prism, and encountered a slit on edge, their rotational speed
would change. The different colors seen are due to the different
rotational speeds of the plenum particles.

B. Christiaan Huygens (1629–1695)

• He proposed a wave model that was different from that of
Descartes. Huygens’ light is a longitudinal wave in which the
medium moves in the same line as the wave.
• Light travels through aether, which, like plenum, also
encompasses all space unoccupied by any other particle. This is
the same aether that, according to ancient Greeks, is the element
that constitutes the stars, planets and celestial spheres on which
they are mounted.
 • Reflection was the bouncing of light waves on reflecting surface or
a material it cannot pass through, similar to the echo of sound
and ocean waves bouncing on a cliff. The waves turn back and
produce a reverse image.
• Refraction was due to the difference in the speed of wave in two
different media.

Figure 5. Reflection and Refraction according to Wave Model

Other scientists like Thomas Young, James Clerk Maxwell and Albert
Einstein also conducted experiments and explained the dual nature of light.
Today, scientists accept that light is both a wave and a particle as it has the
attributes of both; this is called the wave-particle duality.

Lesson 2: Frequency and Energy of Photons

Frequency (f) is the number of complete wavelength passing through a point

per unit of time and its unit is s¯¹ or hertz (Hz). Energy (E) is the amount of energy
that light contains in joules. Electromagnetic waves with shorter wavelength and
higher frequency have higher energy than those with longer wavelength and lower
frequency.
Light can be described as a particle (photon) or a wave (electromagnetic
wave). The electromagnetic wave can be pictured as oscillating electric and
magnetic fields that move in a straight line at a constant velocity.

Photon Theory
Photon theory of light states that photon is composed of electromagnetic
energy. This energy may be given to an electron during collision and causes the
movement of the electron to a higher energy level. After 10⁻⁸ s, the electron will
return to its energy level and will emit light in the form of photons.
According to the photon theory of light, photons behave like a particle and a
wave, simultaneously, moves at a constant velocity, c = 2.9979 x 108 m/s (i.e. "the
speed of light"), in empty space, and have zero mass and rest energy. It also carries
energy and momentum, which are also related to the frequency (nu) and
wavelength (lambda) of the electromagnetic wave, as expressed by the equation E =
h nu and p = h / lambda. It can also be destroyed or created when radiation is
absorbed or emitted. It can have particle-like interactions (i.e., collisions) with
electrons and other particles, such as in the Compton Effect, in which particles of
light collide with atoms which it makes release electrons.
Depending on the element, atoms have a tendency to absorb light of certain
wavelength and just let the other wavelengths pass through. They also tend to
release photons of a certain amount of energy only due to the discreteness of
energy levels. Thus, a light coming from a sample made purely of a certain element
can be seen through a prism as spectrum with black lines. This spectrum is called
the atomic spectrum, which serves as a unique signature of the element.
Elements have a different set of spectra.

Photoelectric effect
The Photoelectric effect was proposed by Albert Einstein in 1905. The
Photoelectric effect refers to a photon incident to a metal surface and transfers all
its energy to the electron. For each frequency or color of the incident light, each
photon carried energy.
An increasing incident of photons means increasing the intensity of light and
energy of the photons remained the same. This means that by increasing the
incident photons, more electrons are ejected.
Energy of a photon is directly proportional to frequency. Increasing the
frequency of light would increase the energy of the ejected electrons. This leads to
the reason behind the arrangement of the visible spectrum of light. The visible
spectrum of light shows that red color has the least frequency, which means it also
has the least energy. Due to this property of the red light, photographers use red
light so that the light-sensitive papers they use would not be overexposed and may
ruin the pictures.

Color Spectra
Colors are not natural to objects. The colors of the objects appear due to the
light they emit. Colors are determined by their frequencies. They are only perceived
by the human brain. When the light reaches the eye, the receptor cell of the eye or
retina gives a signal to the brain, which interprets the image with colors. As the
frequency increases, the color gradually changes from red to violet.

Figure 6. Color Spectra

 Source: https://lightcolourvision.org

Ultraviolet radiation
Photons of different colors have different energies. Red light has low
frequency and long wavelength; this means that it has low energy. On the other
hand, blue has a higher frequency and shorter wavelength, which means it has
more energy. Ultraviolet light is beyond visible light, which means it has a higher
frequency and shorter wavelength. This explains why we get easily sunburned when
exposed to ultraviolet rays of light.

Figure 7. Electromagnetic Spectrum

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org

Enrichment Activity 2: Identify Me!

Directions: Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if the statement is
incorrect. Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

___________1. The energy of a photon is directly proportional to its frequency.

___________2. The Photoelectric effect was proposed by Isaac Newton in 1905.
___________3. The photon has only energy and no mass.
___________4. Light can be described as a particle or a wave.
___________5. The colors of the objects appear due to the light they emit.
___________6. Ultraviolet ray is harmful to human.
___________7. Blue light has higher frequency than red light.
___________8. Electrons can move to higher energy levels.
___________9. Colors are innate to objects.
___________10. Photon is a particle, just like an atom.

Deepen
Performance Task 1: Differentiate it!

Direction: Read and understand the questions below. Answer the questions
briefly on a separate sheet of paper. The scoring rubric on the next page will be
used in assessing your output.

1. What is the difference between corpuscular theory and wave theory?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

2. How does the corpuscle theory explain light’s nature?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

3. How does wave theory explain the nature of light?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Performance Task 2: Draw and Explain Me!

Direction: Draw a diagram showing the electromagnetic spectrum and label its
name and wavelength. Answer the following questions below correctly. The
scoring rubric on the next page will be used in assessing your output. Use a
separate sheet of paper for your answers.
Questions:
1. Why do photographers use red light?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

2. Why do we get easily sunburned when we are exposed to ultraviolet?

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

3. Why do we see different colors?

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Rubric for Scoring the Output

CRITERIA 5 4 3 2
Main/Topic Main/Topic Main/Topic Main/Topic Main/Topic
Idea idea sentence idea sentence idea sentence idea sentence
Sentence is clear, is either is unclear and is unclear and
correctly unclear or incorrectly incorrectly
placed, and is incorrectly placed and is placed and is
 placed and is
restated in the restated in the not restated in
restated in the
closing closing the closing
closing
sentence. sentence. sentence.
sentence.
Each Each Each
Each
supporting supporting supporting
supporting
detail detail detail
Elaborating detail
sentence has sentence has sentence has
Detail sentence has
three or more at least two one
Sentence(s) elaborating elaborating no elaborating
elaborating
detail detail detail
detail
sentences. sentence. sentence.
sentences.
Paragraph has Paragraph has Paragraph has
Paragraph has
one or two three to five six or more
Mechanics no errors in
punctuation, punctuation, punctuation,
and punctuation,
capitalization, capitalization, capitalization,
Grammar capitalization,
and spelling and spelling and spelling
and spelling.
errors. errors. errors.
Details are in Some details
Details are in
a logical order are not in a
a logical order Details are not
which keeps logical order
Organization which keeps in a logical
the reader which keeps
the reader the reader less order.
somewhat
interested. interested.
interested.

Gauge

Direction: Read carefully each item. Write only the letter of the best answer for
each test item. Use a separate sheet of paper for your answers.
1. Which of the following refers to the bending of light due to the change in its
speed when it obliquely passes two different media?
A. Absorption B. Dispersion C. Reflection D. Refraction

2. Which of the following refers to the bouncing of light as it reaches a

reflecting surface or the boundary between two media?
A. Absorption B. Dispersion C. Reflection D. Refraction

3. What happens to light when it hits a car’s side mirror?

A. Light is reflected. B. Light is refracted.
C. Light is dispersed. D. Light is transmitted.
4. What nature of light is sometimes called a photon, which explains how light
travel in straight lines?
A. Particle B. Reflection C. Refraction D. Wave

5. Which of the following theory of Sir Isaac Newton states that light was
composed of tiny particles that travel in a straight line and can travel
through a vacuum?
A. Wave Theory B. Diffraction Theory
C. Corpuscle’s Theory D. Electromagnetic Theory

6. Who was the scientist who proposed the photoelectric effect?

A. Einstein B. Galileo C. Hertz D. Newton

7. Sunburn can be likely caused by __________.

A. Radio waves B. Microwaves
C. Infrared light D. Ultraviolet light

8. Which of the following refers to a photon incident to a metal surface and

transfer all its energy to the electron?
A. Photon B. Electromagnetism
C. Photoelectric effect D. Electromagnetic spectrum

9. Red light is least deflected. This is because the corpuscles of red light are
the _____.
A. Least massive B. Most reflected
C. Most massive D. Most absorbed
10. According to Christian Huygens, refraction was due to the difference in the
______.
A. Speed of waves in two different media
B. Color of the waves in two different media
C. Amplitude of the waves in two different media
D. Frequency of the waves in two different media

11. According to Huygens, which of the following describes aether?

A. Aether allows light to pass through.
B. Aether occupies all unoccupied space.
C. Aether constitutes the stars and planets.
D. Aether does not allow light to pass through.

12. According to Newton, what causes image reversal during reflection?

A. Plenum hitting the surface at different times
B. Plenum hitting the surface at identical times
C. Corpuscles hitting the surface at identical times
D. Corpuscles hitting the surface at different times
13. According to Newton, what causes refraction?
A. The presence of a force that was directed towards the medium with lower
refractive index
B. The presence of a force that was directed towards the medium with
higher refractive index
C. The presence of corpuscles that was directed towards the medium with
lower refractive index
D. The presence of corpuscles that was directed towards the medium with
higher refractive index

14. Why does a blue t-shirt appear blue?

A. Blue is emitted by the t-shirt
B. Blue is refracted by the t-shirt
C. Blue is absorbed by the t-shirt
D. Blue is reflected by the t-shirt
15. A darkroom is a place where photographers develop film negatives. It uses
red light because ______.
A. Red light has low energy level.
B. Red light has high energy level.
C. Red photons overexpose the pictures.
D. Red photons do not overexpose the pictures.
PRE -TEST
1. C 6 .B 11 .A
2. D 7 .C 12 .C
3. A 8. C 13 .D
4. C 9 .A 14 .B
5. A 10 .D 15 .C
JUMPSTART
 Activity 1 – Answers may vary.
 Activity 2 – Arrange Me!
1. FREQUENCY
2. PHOTON
3. ENERGY
4. PHOTOELECTRIC EFFECT
5. LIGHT
EXPLORE
 Enrichment Activity 1: Concept Map
1. Reflection
2 (1 - in any order )
2. Refraction
3. Particles
4. Isaac Newton
5. Corpuscles
6. Wave
7. Christiaan Huygens
8. Aether
9. Rene Descartes
10. Plenum
 Enrichment Activity 2: Identify Me!
1. True
2. False
3. True
4. True
5. True
6. True
7. True
8. True
9. True
10. Tr ue
 DEEPE
N  Performance
Task 1
1 According to Isaaco th corpuscular of states that light
Newt
. composed of tinyn particles
e corpuscl
theorythat travel
light inwas
straight line and can
through
called a Huygens'estheory travel
of light
n, based on the concept
vacuum.
wa-like nature refractio
of light, held that the of the
velocity of light in any substance
ve was inversely
proporti a to its refractive index. In other words, Huygens postulated
on was
light l that the more
"bent" or refracted by a substance, the slower it would
move while traversing
across that
2 substance.
The corpuscular theory the reflection of light in the y as
same
the
. reflection
explains of a perfectly wa elastic ball from . When
a rigid
the
( plane
particles) hit the reflecting surface, they corpuscles
are reflected from it in such a
way that
angle the
of incidence is equal to the angle of
reflection.
3 Wave theory thaa light source emits light waves that spread
. speculates
directio . Upon impacting
t in all a mirror, the waves are reflected according
ns
angles, tobut arrival
thewith each wave turned back to front . to produce a
reversed image
 Performance
Task
1 The2 visiblectrum of light shows that red color has the least
spe
. means frequency,
it also has thewhichleast energy. Due to this property of the red
use photographers
light,red light so that -sensitive papers they use would not be
the
maylight
ruinpicture overexposed and
the
2 Photons s.of different colors have different energies. Red light has low
. frequency
long wavelength;and this means that red light has low energy. On the
other
has hand, blue
a higher frequency and shorter wavelength, which means it has
more energy.
Ultraviolet light isvisible mea it a higher frequency and
beyond
wavelength. Thislight,
explainsnswhyhas shorter
we get easily sunburned when exposed
under
ultraviolet rays of
3 light.
Objects appear rs because they absorbrs elengths)
. different colo
reflected or transmit some colo
rs. The rs we see are(wavand
the wavelengths
e
other colo
reflected or White colo that
objects ar
appear
e because they reflect rs. all
transmitted.
Black objects b allwhit
s so no light is colo
absor color reflected.
GUA
GE1 D 6 .A 11 . A
. C
2 7 .D 12 . D
. A
3 8 .C 13 . B
. A
4 9 .C 14 . D
. C
5 10 . A 15 . D
.