Properties of light

electromagnetic waves

Light travels as a wave. The other rule of thumb is that light interacts: It’s emitted or absorbed in the form of discrete particles, discrete photons, as lumps of discrete energy. The answer for light appears to be that light is both discrete and continuous.

Answer: The number of complete wavelengths in a given unit of time is called frequency (f). As a wavelength increases in size, its frequency and energy (E) decrease.

There are three measurable properties of wave motion: amplitude, wavelength, and frequency. A definitive experiment was Young’s double slit experiment, which demonstrated that light shined at two slits in a screen show an interference pattern characteristic of waves of light, rather than particles.

• Reflection of light.
• Refraction of light.
• Diffraction of light.
• Interference of light.
• Polarization of light.
• Dispersion of light.
• Scattering of light.

Photography is “writing with light.” So, let’s build our conversation about lighting on five fundamental characteristics of light: Direction, Intensity, Color, Contrast, and Hardness.

These basic qualities of light are; INTENSITY, FORM, COLOR, DIRECTION and MOVEMENT. These are the lighting designer’s tools.

• Light Quality Basically, two simple measures are considered under the light quality characteristic. They include Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) and Color Rendering Index (CRI). These two measures offer a broad overview of most light sources.

The Characteristics of light :

• Light is an electromagnetic wave.
• Light travels in a straight line.
• Light is a transverse wave, and does not need any medium to travel.
• The velocity of light changes when it travels from one medium to another.
• The wavelength (λ) of light changes when it goes from one medium to another.

Light is a form of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength which can be detected by the human eye. It is a small part of the electromagnetic spectrum and radiation given off by stars like the sun. Animals can also see light. The study of light, known as optics, is an important research area in modern physics.

Light Is Also a Particle! Now that the dual nature of light as “both a particle and a wave” has been proved, its essential theory was further evolved from electromagnetics into quantum mechanics. Einstein believed light is a particle (photon) and the flow of photons is a wave.

Violet waves

Gamma rays

crest

Waves come in two kinds, longitudinal and transverse. Transverse waves are like those on water, with the surface going up and down, and longitudinal waves are like of those of sound, consisting of alternating compressions and rarefactions in a medium.