Light waves are another name for electromagnetic radiation. They consist of self-propagating waves of electric and magnetic fields that travel through space. This wave motion transports energy but doesn’t involve the movement of physical matter itself.
- The distance between peaks in a wave is known as the wavelength. Different wavelengths correspond to specific portions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
- The visible spectrum, which our eyes can detect, occupies a limited range within this spectrum.
- Within the visible spectrum, red light has a longer wavelength than violet light.
- Light exhibits wave-particle duality. This means that light can demonstrate properties of both waves and particles (photons) depending on the experimental setup.
- Light waves interact with matter through various mechanisms. These include reflection (e.g., bouncing off a mirror), absorption (e.g., conversion of light energy to heat by dark clothing), and refraction (e.g., bending of light as it passes through a prism).