Class -X
chapter:Light
The corpuscular theory of light, proposed by Isaac Newton, suggests that
light is composed of tiny, indivisible particles called corpuscles, which travel
in straight lines. These corpuscles were thought to be elastic and rigid.
Newton's theory successfully explained reflection and refraction, but it
struggled to account for phenomena like interference and diffraction, which
are better explained by the wave theory of light.
Key aspects of the corpuscular theory:
Light as particles:
Newton proposed that light is made up of tiny, elastic particles called
corpuscles.
Straight-line propagation:
These corpuscles were believed to travel in straight lines, which helped
explain the laws of reflection and refraction.
Reflection and Refraction:
The theory explained reflection as the elastic collision of corpuscles with a
surface and refraction as the corpuscles being attracted or repelled by a
medium, causing them to change direction.
Speed in different media:
The corpuscular theory incorrectly predicted that light would travel faster in
denser media compared to rarer media.
Limitations:
The theory failed to explain phenomena like interference and diffraction,
which are key characteristics of waves.
Historical Context:
● The corpuscular theory was a significant advancement in
understanding light, but it was eventually superseded by the wave
theory of light.
●
● The wave theory, championed by Christiaan Huygens, provided a more
complete explanation of various optical phenomena.
●
● Modern physics, including the development of quantum mechanics, has
shown that light exhibits both wave-like and particle-like properties, a
concept known as wave-particle duality
What Is Light Energy?
Light energy is a kind of kinetic energy with the ability to
make types of light visible to human eyes. Light is defined
as a form of electromagnetic radiation emitted by hot
objects like lasers, bulbs, and the sun.
Light contains photons which are minute packets of
energy. When an object’s atoms get heated up, it results in
the production of photons, and this is how photons are
produced. The electrons find excitement from the heat,
which results in earning extra energy. The energy is
released in the form of a photon, and more photons come
out as the substance gets hotter.
Light travels in the form of a wave when it travels.
However, no matter is essential to carry the energy along
to travel. This is the reason why light can travel through
space where there is no air. This is not the case with sound
waves since they have
to travel through solids, liquids or gas. Light energy is very
quick and travels faster than anything. The light speed is
equal to 186,282 miles per second.
The sun emits a large amount of electromagnetic
radiation. Humans can see only a fraction of this energy
which is known as ‘visible light.’ How solar energy travels
is expressed as waves. Scientists can calculate the
amount of energy of a wave by measuring its wavelength
and distance between consecutive points of a wave(from
crest to crest and trough to trough).
Visible light constitutes only one of many electromagnetic
radiations emitted by the sun. The electromagnetic
spectrum is the range of all possible radiation frequencies.
It shows different types of electromagnetic radiation from
the sun, including ultraviolet rays and X-rays. Various kind
of radiant energy from the sun has been differentiated
within the electromagnetic spectrum and the difference
between wavelengths points to the amount of energy that
is carried by them.
● LThe visible spectrum is the band of the electromagnetic spectrum that is
visible to the human eye. Electromagnetic radiation in this range of wavelengths
is called visible light (or simply light). The optical spectrum is sometimes
considered to be the same as the visible spectrum, but some authors define the
term more broadly, to include the ultraviolet and infrared parts of the
electromagnetic spectrum as well, known collectively as optical radiation.
The electromagnetic spectrum is the full range of electromagnetic radiation, organized by
frequency or wavelength. The spectrum is divided into separate bands, with different names
for the electromagnetic waves within each band. From low to high frequency these are: radio
waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays. The
electromagnetic waves in each of these bands have different characteristics, such as how
they are produced, how they interact with matter, and their practical applications.
Radio waves, at the low-frequency end of the spectrum, have the lowest photon energy and
the longest wavelengths—thousands of kilometers, or more. They can be emitted and
received by antennas, and pass through the atmosphere, foliage, and most building materials.
Gamma rays, at the high-frequency end of the spectrum, have the highest photon energies
and the shortest wavelengths—much smaller than an atomic nucleus. Gamma rays, X-rays,
and extreme ultraviolet rays are called ionizing radiation because their high photon energy is
able to ionize atoms, causing chemical reactions. Longer-wavelength radiation such as visible
light is nonionizing; the photons do not have sufficient energy to ionize atoms.
Throughout most of the electromagnetic spectrum, spectroscopy can be used to separate
waves of different frequencies, so that the intensity of the radiation can be measured as a
function of frequency or wavelength. Spectroscopy is used to study the interactions of
electromagnetic waves with matter
