1|Page Module# 15/Fundamentals of Light
Physics Module # 15: Fundamentals of Light
Lesson # 2: WAVE NATURE OF LIGHT
Diffraction
It is the bending of light towards the edges or corners when it passes through
narrow gaps.
For example, as shown in the diagram, the water waves
spread out when they pass through narrow gap in a
ripple tank.
In another diagram, the water waves are coming on
a beach and spread after hitting the rocks.
Sound waves can also diffract when they pass
through doorways and windows and spreads due to which, those people can
also listen whom we cannot see.
Huygens’s Principle
• Huygens’s principle states that each point on a wave front acts as a source for
new waves.
• The diagram shows five points on the initial
wave front sending out waves. These waves are
part of the new wave front.
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Why does a leaf appear to be green?
The white light is a combination of seven
colors, when it falls on the leaf, the surface of
the leaf reflects the green color and absorbs
the rest of them.
Therefore, the color which is reflected, the
objects appears to be of that color.
White surface reflects all the colors and absorbs
nothing.
If a surface absorbs all the colors and reflects nothing; then it appears to be
black.
Primary Colors
Primary colors are those colors which are mixed in different intensities to make
the other colors.
There are three primary colors, which are as follows:
Red
Green
Blue
Secondary Colors
Secondary colors are those colors which are made by
mixing any two primary colors.
There are three secondary colors, which are as follows:
Cyan
Magenta
Yellow
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Red + green ---> yellow
Red + blue ---> magenta
Blue + green ---> cyan
Red + green + Blue ---> White
Pigment
It is a material with which a surface is painted in different colors, i.e. paint or water
colors etc.
Primary Pigments
Primary pigments are those pigments which are mixed in different ratios to
make the other pigments.
There are three primary pigments, which are as follows:
Cyan
Magenta
Yellow
Secondary Pigments
Secondary pigments are those pigments
which are made by mixing any two primary
pigments.
There are three secondary pigments, which
are as follows:
Red
Green
Blue
Magenta + Yellow ---> Red
Cyan + Yellow ---> Green
Cyan + Magenta ---> Blue
Cyan + Magenta + Yellow ---> Black
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Polarization
It is a process of filtering out one specific wave out of many waves.
Only transverse waves can be polarized.
Longitudinal waves cannot be polarized.
Polarization of Light
Light can be polarized
Polarized light waves have fields
vibrating in only one plane.
In this case, the electric field is vertically
polarized.
Light can also be partially polarized, parallel to the plane of glass by
reflection.
Polarized reflected light causes glare.
Non-polarized Light
Non-polarized light consists of light with
the electric and magnetic fields vibrating
in all directions.
Malus’s Law
This law explains that how much will be light intensity after passing
through the second filter.
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It states:
The intensity of light coming out of second
polarizing filter is equal to the intensity of
polarized light coming out of a first
polarizing filter multiplied by the cosine,
squared, of the angle between the
polarizing axes of the two filters.
I2 = I1 cos2Ꝋ
Example # 1: Two filters are used to filter a certain amount of light. 25 cd is the light
which is received after the first filter and 11 cd after passing through the second
filter. What is the angle between the axes of the two filters placed in front of the
light?
I1 = 25 cd
I2 = 11 cd
I2 = I1 cos2Ꝋ
11 = 25 cos2Ꝋ
cos2Ꝋ = 0.44
cos Ꝋ = 0.64
Ꝋ = 48.44o
Doppler’s Effect of Light
This is the change in the observed frequency or wavelength of light,
when a light source moves away or towards an observer.
The observed (new) frequency can be calculated using:
𝒗
fobs = [1 ± ] x fs
𝒄
where,
fobs = detected or observed frequency
fs = frequency of the source
v = velocity of the source
c = speed of light in air or vacuum
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Note:
o If the fobs > fs, then the source is moving towards the detector.
o If the fobs < fs, then the source is moving away from the detector.
Doppler’s shift
The change in wavelength of the observed light is also known as Doppler’s
shift, and can be calculated using:
where,
λ obs = detected or observed wavelength
λ = Wavelength of the light source
v = velocity of the source
c = speed of light in air or vacuum
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Answers
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