Scientists have been puzzled for hundreds of years about some aspects of light t

Question

Scientists have been puzzled for hundreds of years about some aspects of light that appear to contradict each other. In fact, light sometimes behaves like a wave and sometimes it behaves like a stream of particles. How do you visualize the actual nature of light? Is it an electromagnetic wave? Is it a stream of particles (photons)?  After viewing the videos on our opening pages and the link below, answer the question in red.

http://phys.org/news/2015-03-particle.html

How do you view the basic nature of light when it presents two such very different aspects? Share your thoughts with your colleagues.

Explanation / Answer

Light has both type of property-particles and waves. It expresses the inability of the classical concepts "particle" or "wave" to fully describe the behavior of quantum-scale objects.In classical physics macroscopic particles, because of their extremely short wavelengths, wave properties usually cannot be detected. Quantum mechanics tells us that light can behave simultaneously as a particle or a wave.  Light behaves like a particle (called a photon), which explains how light travels in straight lines. Sometimes it behaves like a wave, which explains how light bends (or diffracts) around an object . So to observe dual nature of light, measurement should be done in quantum mechanical way.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse S
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.