LIGHT
Light is what we see. It can be thought of either as a particle, (the photon), or as a wave. The photon we can easily think of as a small dot travelling through space at the speed of light. Each photon has a particular colour or energy. But how do we think of light as a wave? For this we need to know that light is also an "Electro-magnetic field" -- a combination of electric-field …
Is this Essay helpful? Join now to read this particular paper
and access over 480,000 just like this GET BETTER GRADES
and access over 480,000 just like this GET BETTER GRADES
…Although either is an acceptable description of light, for our purposes in introductory astronomy the wave description will be more useful.
The speed of light in a vacuum is commonly given the symbol c. It is a universal constant that has the value
c = 3 x 1010 cm/second
The speed of light in a medium is generally less than this. Normally the term "speed of
light", without further qualification, refers to the speed in a vacuum.
Need a custom written paper? Let our professional writers save your time.
Not a member yet?
