Crest and Trough of a light wave

[neurocomp2003]

What exactly do the crest and trough parts of a light wave represent?
Are they traversals that a electron takes or are they a mathematical
analytical tool used in equations involving light? Or is the answer still unknown?

[cookiemonster]

I've screwed up enough tonight, so nothing complicated from me!

Light isn't made of electrons. I think you're looking for photons.

cookiemonster

[selfAdjoint]

Originally posted by neurocomp2003
What exactly do the crest and trough parts of a light wave represent?
Are they traversals that a electron takes or are they a mathematical
analytical tool used in equations involving light? Or is the answer still unknown?

They represent successive maxima and minima of the electric strength vector relative to the magnetic strength vector. And yes, this explanation works for photons too, since as we know, they have a wave nature (along with a particle nature), and the electric and magnetic strengths are effective features of that wave nature.

[neurocomp2003]

yeah sorry i meant to say particle not electron.