Common Properties of Light

• Maxwell's Equation- The relationship between the electric and magnetic fields in a moving charge.
• James Clark Maxwell- described light as a propagating wave made up of electric and magnetic field.
• His work revealed that electromagnetic radiation came from oscillating electric and magnetic fields traveling as waves with a speed equal to speed of light.
• Electromagnetic Wave- is understood to be a transversewave produced be a vibrating electric charge.
• Characteristic of a Wave

  • wavelength
  • frequency
  • speed
• wavelength- measurement of the distance between the successive crest or troughs of a wave.
• frequency- number of waves that propagate in a unit of time, which is usually in seconds.
• Speed- how fast the wave is propagating.
• Types of waves:

  • Longitudinal wave
  • Transverse wave
• Longitudinal wave- it is also called " compressional wave"

  -which the vibrations are along the direction of the wave.
• Transverse wave- any wave that moves matter in direction perpendicular to the direction of the wave's motion.
• Note!

  Electromagnetic wave- are transverse wave that have the capability of propagating without any medium.
• Other properties of light;

  • Electric permittivity- it is related to the energy stored in an electric field.
  • Magnetic permittivity- it is similar to the energy stored in a magnetic field.
• Reflection of light- The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.

  when light strikes a material, it has the capacity to bounce against it or be reflected.
• This phenomenon is known as the reflection of light , and it is governed by the "law of reflection".
• Law of reflection- the angle of incidence, is equal to the angle of reflection. Furthermore, the incident ,the reflected ray ,and the normal to the surface all lie on the same place.
• Incident ray- it is the light ray that approaches the reflecting surface and forms an angle with the line that is normal or perpendicular to the surface.
• Reflected Ray- A ray of light that is reflected from a surface.