Why is it important to understand the physics of light waves?

Define important? Do you want to work in the development of electronics, optical technologies, or any realm of physical science (where knowing any amount or variety of topics is useful)? Are you just curious about how the world works? read more

You can draw analogies to other physical systems; that is, studying one area of physics is likely (especially in a case like this, where the mathematical language is easily applied to other fields) to improve your comprehension of physics as a whole. read more

We study the physics of waves because it provides a rich glimpse into the physical world that we seek to understand and describe as students of physics. Before beginning a formal discussion of the nature of waves, it is often useful to ponder the various encounters and exposures that we have of waves. read more

The fact is that light exhibits behaviors that are characteristic of both waves and particles. In this unit of The Physics Classroom Tutorial, the focus will be on the wavelike nature of light. Light exhibits certain behaviors that are characteristic of any wave and would be difficult to explain with a purely particle-view. read more

The physics of light waves is some of the most well-known, tested, benchmark pieces of physics knowledge of the current times. You can draw analogies to other physical systems; that is, studying one area of physics is likely (especially in a case like this, where the mathematical language is easily applied to other fields) to improve your comprehension of physics as a whole. read more

Waves are everywhere in nature. Our understanding of the physical world is not complete until we understand the nature, properties and behaviors of waves. The goal of this unit is to develop mental models of waves and ultimately apply those models to an understanding of the two most common types of waves - sound waves and light waves. read more