Why we use wavelength to divided into ray, wave and particle

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the classification of light as rays, waves, or particles based on wavelength. Light is categorized into rays when the wavelength is less than the size of the measuring equipment, into waves when the wavelength equals the equipment's size, and into particles when the wavelength exceeds the equipment's size. The choice of wavelength as a parameter is preferred over frequency due to its practical implications in phenomena such as interference and diffraction, particularly in quantum optics when photon counts are low.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of light properties: ray, wave, and particle duality
  • Knowledge of wavelength and its relation to equipment dimensions
  • Familiarity with quantum optics concepts
  • Basic grasp of the relationship between wavelength, frequency, and the speed of light (c = λf)
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of quantum optics and photon behavior
  • Explore the effects of wavelength on light behavior in various mediums
  • Study the phenomena of interference and diffraction in wave optics
  • Learn about the implications of light intensity on its classification as a wave or particle
USEFUL FOR

Physicists, optical engineers, and students studying light behavior and quantum mechanics will benefit from this discussion.

isnainidiah
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I want to ask something about light, light can be defined as ray, wave, or particle. The group formed because of the wavelength, if the wavelength is less than the dimension of equipment it is grouped into ray, if the wavelength is equal to the dimension of equipment it is grouped into wave, and the last if the wavelength is bigger than the dimension of the equipment it is grouped into particles/foton. My question is, why we use wavelength to divided into ray, wave and particles ?
 
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isnainidiah said:
The group formed because of the wavelength, if the wavelength is less than the dimension of equipment it is grouped into ray,
When the wavelength is much smaller than the typical equipment size, phenomena inherent to a wave, such as interference and diffraction, are much less apparent - such light passing through an iris will practically be just going through it with the beam size after is the same as the iris opening.
isnainidiah said:
if the wavelength is equal to the dimension of equipment it is grouped into wave,
Interference and diffraction become important.
isnainidiah said:
the last if the wavelength is bigger than the dimension of the equipment it is grouped into particles/foton.
Have never heard of it, but I suppose, when the measuring element is much smaller than the wavelength, the sensitivity to the electric field fluctuation may be excalated. This is the realm of quantum optics.
 
But, why wavelength is choosen as parameter ?
 
isnainidiah said:
But, why wavelength is choosen as parameter ?
I believe the answer to this question is already implied in my previous post.
 
I mean, why not another quantity such as amplitudo or frequency become the parameter ?
 
isnainidiah said:
I mean, why not another quantity such as amplitudo or frequency become the parameter ?
Frequency can also be used in place of the wavelength as these quantities are related by ##c=\lambda f##. It just happens that we use wavelength more often than we do frequency. You are right, in some cases, actually the intensity of the light, which is directly related to the amplitude must also be taken into account as to whether we should resort to treating the light as classical wave or quanta. In particular, when the intensity is very high (meaning this light beam contains thousands of million of photons) it's sufficient to treat it as a classical wave. If there is only a few photons (let's say below a hundred), then we must resort to the quantum treatment which is quantum optics.
PS: I recognize your name is native to certain southeast Asian countries.
 
blue_leaf77 said:
Frequency can also be used in place of the wavelength as these quantities are related by ##c=\lambda f##. It just happens that we use wavelength more often than we do frequency. You are right, in some cases, actually the intensity of the light, which is directly related to the amplitude must also be taken into account as to whether we should resort to treating the light as classical wave or quanta. In particular, when the intensity is very high (meaning this light beam contains thousands of million of photons) it's sufficient to treat it as a classical wave. If there is only a few photons (let's say below a hundred), then we must resort to the quantum treatment which is quantum optics.
PS: I recognize your name is native to certain southeast Asian countries.

Hmmm i got the idea,, thank you for your explanation
Yeah, you're right i come from southeast asian countries
 

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