Light acts as a wave but travels in a staright line right

In summary, light can be perceived as either waves or particles depending on the experimental conditions and the intensity and frequency of the light. While light can spread in the form of waves, photons themselves do not split and can only be measured in a single place. Light from a point source spreads out in a sphere rather than in a straight line like a light ray.
  • #1
The_Thinker
146
2
I'm just trying to get the right picture of how light is perseved by us right now... Does light spread? as in does one photon of light split up as it travels through vacuum or does a photon stay as a ray and there are an innumberable number of these guyz out there which is why light is seen everywhere? Basically does a ray of light continueously spread as it travels through vacuum...?

I'm a bit confused by this whole thing...
 
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  • #2
'Rays' of light are an idea that was introduced to make rough calculations about lenses and mirrors and so forth. They're just an approximation.

'Waves' of light are the statistical result of gazillions of single photons. You can treat light as a classical wave and get many of the same experimental results provided you have a high enough light intensity to make sure the wave is 'smooth' or filled out, but the only theory of light consistent with all the experiments I can think of off the top of my head is the photon theory, where photons are *quantum* not classical objects and are measured as particles but statistically show wave behaviour.

Kane
 
  • #3
Well I should answer each of your questions really, shouldn't I.

Does light spread? Under some conditions, yes, because waves 'spread' (diffract) and light can be thought of as a wave if the light intensity is high enough and frequency low enough.

Photons don't split as far as we know, you can only ever measure them in a single place.

Kane
 
  • #4
Light from a "point" source (such as an electron) spreads out in a sphere.

That's very different from a "light ray".
 
  • #5
ahh... i get it now... thz guyz
 

What is the wave-particle duality of light?

The wave-particle duality of light is a fundamental principle in physics that describes light as having both wave-like and particle-like properties. This means that under certain conditions, light behaves like a wave, but under other conditions, it behaves like a particle.

How does light act as a wave?

Light acts as a wave because it exhibits properties such as diffraction, interference, and polarization. These behaviors are consistent with the behavior of other types of waves, such as sound waves or water waves.

Why does light travel in a straight line?

Light travels in a straight line because it follows the path of least resistance. In a vacuum, there are no particles or objects to interact with, so light travels in a straight line. However, when light encounters a medium, such as air or water, it can be refracted or scattered, causing it to deviate from a straight path.

What is the relationship between light's wavelength and frequency?

The wavelength and frequency of light are inversely proportional. This means that as the wavelength increases, the frequency decreases, and vice versa. This relationship is described by the equation c = λν, where c is the speed of light, λ is the wavelength, and ν is the frequency.

Is light a wave or a particle?

Light is both a wave and a particle. This concept is known as wave-particle duality, and it is a fundamental principle of quantum mechanics. Depending on the experimental setup and conditions, light can exhibit either wave-like or particle-like behavior.

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