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Understanding Visible Light

Light is electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye, with wavelengths between 400-700 nanometers. The main source of light on Earth is the sun, which provides energy for photosynthesis in plants. Historically, fire was also an important light source for humans. Some animals can generate their own light through bioluminescence. Visible light has properties of intensity, direction of propagation, frequency or wavelength spectrum, and polarization, and always travels at 299,792,458 meters per second in a vacuum. In physics, light refers to electromagnetic radiation of any wavelength, whether visible or not.

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29 views2 pages

Understanding Visible Light

Light is electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye, with wavelengths between 400-700 nanometers. The main source of light on Earth is the sun, which provides energy for photosynthesis in plants. Historically, fire was also an important light source for humans. Some animals can generate their own light through bioluminescence. Visible light has properties of intensity, direction of propagation, frequency or wavelength spectrum, and polarization, and always travels at 299,792,458 meters per second in a vacuum. In physics, light refers to electromagnetic radiation of any wavelength, whether visible or not.

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Light is electromagnetic radiation within a certain portion of the

electromagnetic spectrum. The word usually refers to visible light,


which is visible to the human eye and is responsible for the sense
of sight.[1] Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in
the range of 400700 nanometres (nm), or 4.00 107 to 7.00
107 m, between the infrared (with longer wavelengths) and the
ultraviolet (with shorter wavelengths).[2][3] This wavelength means a
frequency range of roughly 430750 terahertz (THz).
The main source of light on Earth is the Sun. Sunlight provides the
energy that green plants use to create sugars mostly in the form of
starches, which release energy into the living things that digest
them. This process of photosynthesis provides virtually all the
energy used by living things. Historically, another important source
of light for humans has been fire, from ancient campfires to
modern kerosene lamps. With the development of electric lights
and power systems, electric lighting has effectively replaced
firelight. Some species of animals generate their own light, a
process called bioluminescence. For example, fireflies use light to
locate mates, and vampire squids use it to hide themselves from
prey.
The primary properties of visible light are intensity, propagation
direction, frequency or wavelength spectrum, and polarization,
while its speed in a vacuum, 299,792,458 metres per second, is
one of the fundamental constants of nature. Visible light, as with all
types of electromagnetic radiation (EMR), is experimentally found
to always move at this speed in a vacuum.[citation needed]
In physics, the term light sometimes refers to electromagnetic
radiation of any wavelength, whether visible or not.[4][5] In this sense,
gamma rays, X-rays, microwaves and radio waves are also light.
Like all types of light, visible light is emitted and absorbed in tiny
"packets" called photons and exhibits properties of both waves and
particles. This property is referred to as the waveparticle duality.
The study of light, known as optics, is an important research area
in modern physics.

From wikipedia

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