Senior High School

Physical
Science
Quarter 2 - Module 3
Nature of Light

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 Physical Science - Grade 11/12
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Quarter 2 - Module 3: Nature of Light
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 Senior
Senior High
High School
School

Physical Science
Quarter 2 - Module 3
Nature of Light

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 Table of Contents

What This Module is About........................................................................................................................i

What I Need to Know...................................................................................................................................i
How to Learn from this Module................................................................................................................i
Icons of this Module.....................................................................................................................................ii
What I Know..................................................................................................................................................iii

Lesson 1:
The Nature of Light
What I Need to Know........................................................................................... 1
What’s New: Observing a Ball’s Path at Different Speed............................... 1
What Is It: Theories of Light................................................................................ 1
What’s More: Reflecting Me............................................................................... 3
What I Have Learned: My Learning Log........................................................... 3
What I Can Do: Exploring How Light Travels................................................... 3

Lesson 2:
Energy of Light
What’s In............................................................................................................... 4
What I Need to Know........................................................................................... 4
What’s New: Arranging Rainbow Colors .......................................................... 4
What Is It: Energy and Frequency of Light........................................................4
What’s More: Matching Perfectly........................................................................ 6
What I Have Learned: My Learning Log…..…………………………………. 6
What I Can Do: Spotting Similarities and Differences …................................6

Summary………………………………………………………………………………………..... 7
Assessment ……………………………………………..……………………………………….. 8
Key to Answers................................................................................................................ 10
References....................................................................................................................... 11
What This Module is About
We live in a colorful world. The green leaves of trees, the blue lakes and oceans, the
white clouds, the red-orange horizon, the colorful rainbow, the multicolored landscape to
name a few. We see these wonderful creations because of the presence of light. Would it be
wonderful to know the science behind all these?

In this module, you will be introduced to the dual nature of light--being a particle and
a wave or both.

The following are the lessons contained in this module:

1. The Nature of Light
2. Energy of Light

What I Need to Know

At the end of this module, you should be able to:

1. Describe how the propagation of light, reflection, and refraction are explained by the
wave model and the particle model of light (S11/12PS-IVf-59);
2. Explain how the photon concept and the fact that the energy of a photon is directly
proportional to its frequency can be used to explain why red light is used in photographic
darkrooms, why we get easily sunburned in ultraviolet light but not in visible light, and
how we see colors (S11/12PS-IVf-61)

How to Learn from this Module

To achieve the objectives cited above, you are to do the following:
• Get your pen and journal ready.
• Take your time reading the lessons carefully note-taking important information and
keywords.
• Follow the directions and/or instructions in the activities and exercises diligently.
• Perform the activities to the heart. Write your observations in your journal.
• Answer all the given tests and exercises as honestly as possible.
• If you have any questions for clarification, feel free to consult your teacher.

i
Icons of this Module

This part contains learning objectives that

What I Need to
are set for you to learn as you go along the
Know
module.

This is an assessment as to your level of

knowledge of the subject matter at hand,
What I know
meant specifically to gauge prior related
knowledge

This part connects the previous lesson with

What’s In
that of the current one.

An introduction of the new lesson through

What’s New various activities, before it will be presented
to you

These are discussions of the activities as a

What is It way to deepen your discovery and
understanding of the concept.

These are follow-up activities that are

What’s More intended for you to practice further in order
to master the competencies.

What I Have Activities designed to process what you

Learned have learned from the lesson

These are tasks that are designed to

showcase your skills and knowledge gained
What I can do
and applied to real-life concerns and
situations.

ii
What I Know
Multiple Choice. Select the letter of the best answer from among the given choices.

1. Which of the following phenomena describes no difference between the wave theory
and particle theory of light?
A. diffraction C. reflection
B. interference D. refraction

2. Which factor remains constant when light travels in a different medium?

A. Color C. Speed
B. Frequency D. Wavelength

3. Why does a blue t-shirt appear blue?

A. Blue is absorbed by the t-shirt C. Blue is reflected by the t-shirt
B. Blue is emitted by the t-shirt D. Blue is refracted by the t-shirt
.
4. E=hf is an equation that describes the relationship between energy (E) and frequency of
light (f). What will happen to the energy of light as the frequency goes higher? It
A. goes higher C. remains the same
B. goes lower D. undetermined

5. Under which type of light do we easily get sunburned?

A. infrared C. ultraviolet light
B. microwave light D. white light

6. Which has the maximum electromagnetic wave frequencies?

A. gamma ray B. infrared
C. ultraviolet D. X-ray

7. Which of the following statements about the electromagnetic spectrum is FALSE?

A. Lights can travel through a vacuum. B. All lights have the same frequency.
C. Light travels at the speed of 3 x 108 m/s. D. There are many different wavelengths.

8. Why are high-frequency gamma rays more dangerous to humans than visible light?
A. Gamma rays have a lower frequency range than visible light.
B. Gamma rays have a longer wavelength range than visible light.
C. Gamma rays have greater energy than visible light for penetrating matter.
D. Gamma rays have less energy than visible light for penetrating matter.

9. Which physical quantity remains constant in the case of refraction of light?

A. acceleration B. amplitude
C. frequency of light D. wavelength of light

10. Which of the following has the highest wavelength?

A. infrared B. gamma ray
C. ultraviolet D. X-ray

11. Which electromagnetic wave has a frequency greater than visible light and has a
wavelength longer than that of Gamma ray?
A. infrared B. microwave
C. ultraviolet D. radio wave

iii
12. What happens when light hits a mirror?
A. It bends. B. It makes a color.
 C. It passes through. D. It reflects.

13. In reflection, how is the particle theory of light related to the wave theory of light?
A. They complement each other.
B. They are contradicting each other.
C. There is no difference between the wave theory and particle theory of light.
D. Together, they show that reflection is popular than refraction.

14. How do we see a dog?

A. The light that reaches our eyes has been reflected by the dog.
B. The light that reaches our eyes has been refracted by the dog.
C. The light that reaches our eyes has been separated into a spectrum by the dog.
. D. The light that reaches our eyes has undergone interference in passing through
the dog.

15. What is the reason why red light is used in photographic darkrooms?
A. Most of the photographic films are not sensitive to red light.
B. Photographic paper is not sensitive to white light.
C. The frequency for red light is low hence the energy of the photos is less.
D. The frequency of the red light is high hence the energy of the photos is high.

iv

Lesson
 1 The Nature of Light

What I Need to Know

What is light? Is it matter or is it energy? Do you think it is a particle or a wave? For

hundreds of years, scientists disagreed with the nature of light. In this lesson, you will be able
to describe how the propagation of light, reflection, and refraction are explained by the wave
model and the particle model of light.

What’s New
Activity 3.1.1. Observing a Ball’s Path at Different Speeds (1 point each)

Find a space in your yard where you can safely play a ball. Face a wall, a boundary or
a fence at about two meters away from it. Throw the ball slowly. How will you describe the
trajectory path of the ball? Record your observation in the table 3.1A below. Throw this ball
again but this time do it very fast (warning: use your critical thinking so the ball will not hit your
head). Complete the table.

Table 3.1A Ball’s Speed Versus Path

Speed Observation of Ball’s Path
Slow
Fast

What Is It
At low speeds, a curvature of a thrown ball was easily observed because of the
effect of gravity but at high speeds, the ball is inclined to follow a straight line. The second
observation on the ball is also true to the behavior of light. According to Sir Isaac Newton,
light travels in straight lines, thus its particles must move at very high speeds.

Light can travel straight through empty

space (vacuum) until it hits something else.
Once it has hit another surface or particle, it
is either absorbed, reflected (bounces off),
refracted (direction and speed changes),
scattered (bounce-off in all directions) or
transmitted (passes straight through) as
seen in figure 3.1A. But is light a wave or a
particle?
Figure 3.1A: Propagation of Light

The nature of light can be explained by the following theories:

1. The Corpuscular (Particle) Theory – Newton’s Theory
According to the theory, Newton thought that light is made up of particles that travel
through space in a straight line. He explains further that:

 Reflection is the bouncing of light as it hits a surface. Newton demonstrated that particles
that collide with the surface bounce back (see figure 3.1Ba).

 Refraction is the bending of light. It is an attraction between the molecules of the medium
and the particles of light that contribute to the change of speed and direction as the particles
of the light travel inside the medium (see figure 3.1Bc).

(a) (b) (c) (d)

Figure 3.1B. The reflection of light as (a) particles and (b) waves; refraction of light as (c) particles) and (d) waves

2. The Wave Theory of Light

Christian Huygens, a Dutch physicist, argued that if light were made of particles, then
when light beams crossed, the particles would collide and cancel each other. He proposed
that light was a wave similar to that of water waves.
Huygens’ Principle describes each point on a wave behaves as a point source for
waves in the direction of wave motion. Huygens’ wave model of light explains the reflection,
refraction, and diffraction of light. According to him:

 Reflection happens when light bounces off an object. Upon hitting a smooth surface as
illustrated in figure b, the light would be reflected. The waves would bounce back in the
opposite direction following the Law of Reflection producing a reverse image of the wave
(see figure 3.1Bb).

 Refraction is the bending of waves when it enters a medium where its speed changes. In
figure d, the wavefront approaches the two media with different densities. Since the incident
wave is travelling at an angle, a small portion of the wavefront starts to slow down upon
impact to the boundary while the rest are maintaining their speeds. This condition makes the
wavefront bend while entering the second medium with a higher density (see figure 3.1Bd).

Light has a dual nature. It consists of a particle and travel as a wave. Its nature as a
particle, a wave or both may be used to explain but also depending on the phenomenon
(see table 3.1B).

Table 3.1B Behavior of Light

Phenomenon Behavior of Light that can be explained by
Wave Theory Particle Theory
Reflection  
Refraction  
Interference* 
Diffraction* 
Polarization* 
Photoelectric effect* 
*Shall be discussed in details in the succeeding modules
2
 What’s More
Activity 3.1.2 Reflecting Me (1 point each)
Complete Table 3.1C to describe how reflection and refraction are explained by
the wave theory and the particle theory of light.

Table 3.1C Behavior of Light

Description of the Behavior of Light by
Phenomena
Wave Theory of Light Particle Theory of Light

Reflection

Refraction

What I Have Learned

Activity 3.1.3 My Learning Log
Answer accordingly. (Criteria: Critical Thinking-5, Communication-5)
Term What have I learned What learning did I What questions do
about the term? find most I still have about
interesting? what I learned?
Propagation of light

Reflection

Refraction

What I Can Do
Activity 3.1.4 Exploring How Light Travels (10 points)

Go back to your front yard or backyard. Pick 3 best selfie spots. Before posing for
your camera, observe your shadow as you go through those spots.

1. Where did you see the shadows?

2. Did the shadows change?

3. Under what circumstances?

4. Take selfies facing different directions. In the context of light, under what circumstances did
you have a nice selfie photo? Justify your answer.
5. Upload your best and worst capture in your Physical Science group chat on Messenger

or Google Classroom.

3
 Lesson

2 Energy of Light

What’s In
Light may behave as a particle, a wave or both depending on which light
phenomenon is observed. To scientists, colors of things are not substances of the things
themselves, but the frequencies of light emitted or reflected by things which are dependent on
their color pigments.

What I Need to Know

In this lesson, you will be able to explain how the photon concept and the fact
that the energy of a photon is directly proportional to its frequency can be used to explain why
in photographic darkrooms red light is used, why in ultraviolet light but not in visible light we
get easily sunburned, and how we see colors?

What’s New
Activity 3.2.1 Arranging Rainbow Colors (1 point each).

Open your Facebook app. Type visible light spectrum on the search bar. Go through
the resources and take note of the frequencies and energies of the different colors of light.

Using the colors below, complete the chart according to the increasing frequency
and increasing energy.

Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet

Parameter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Frequency
Energy

What happens to the energy of light as the frequency increases?

4
What Is It
 The electromagnetic spectrum depicts all the types of light, including those that we
cannot see in our own eyes. Most of the light in the universe is invisible to humans.

The light we can see, made up of the individual colors of the rainbow, represents only
a very small portion of the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum. It is called visible light as shown
in figure 3.2A. Other types of light include radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation,
ultraviolet rays, X-rays and gamma rays — all of which are imperceptible to human eyes.

Figure 3.2A. The Electromagnetic (EM) Spectrum

The relationship between energy and frequency is given by the equation E = hf,
where h is 6.63 x10-24 joules-second called as Planck's constant. A direct relationship exists;
electromagnetic (EM) radiation is more energetic with a higher frequency.

Why do we get easily sunburned in ultraviolet light but not in visible light? The sun is
a source of the full spectrum of the ultraviolet radiation which is responsible for causing us
sunburn. This UV light has higher frequency than visible light, therefore it has higher energy.

Why is red light used in photographic darkrooms? Darkrooms used red lighting to
allow carefully controlled light to pass through so that photographic paper which is light
sensitive would not become overexposed which will result in ruining the pictures during the
developing process. Red light in the visible region of the spectrum has the lowest frequency
and lowest energy and therefore it does not affect the photo developing process.

How do we see colors? Visible light is a small part of the spectrum that human eyes
are sensitive to and can detect. It is of different frequencies and each frequency is a
particular color. Objects appear in different colors because they absorb some colors and
reflect or transmit the others. Whatever color the object reflect or transmit is the color we see
in the object. White objects appear white because they reflect all colors. Black objects
absorb all of them so no light is reflected.

Other real-life applications of the Electromagnetic waves are specified in table 3.2A.

Table 3.2A EM Waves Applications

Type Application
Radio communications remote control. MRI
Microwaves communication, deep heating, ovens, radar,
Infrared heating, thermal imaging
Visible Light human vision, photosynthesis
Ultraviolet cancer control, sterilization, vitamin D production
X-rays cancer therapy, medical diagnosis, security
Gamma Rays cancer therapy, medical diagnoses, nuclear medicine

5
 What’s More
Activity 3.2.2 Matching Perfectly (1point each).
Directions: Match the expressions in column A with those in column B by placing the
letter that corresponds to the best answer on the space provided.
A B
______1. Using red light in photographic darkroom a. higher frequency. higher energy
______ 2. Getting sunburned in ultraviolet light b. higher frequency. lower energy
______ 3. Seeing white t-shirt as blue c. lower frequency, higher energy
d. lower frequency, lower energy

What I Have Learned

Activity 3.2.3 My Learning Log (Criteria: Critical Thinking-5, Communication-5)

Answer accordingly.
Term What I have learned What learning did I What questions do
about the term? find most I still have about
interesting? what I learned?
Frequency of light

Energy of Light

What I Can Do
Activity 3.2.4 Spotting Similarities and Differences
Compare and contrast any two of the following: radio waves, microwave, infrared,
visible light, ultraviolet, x-ray and gamma ray in terms of energy, frequency and uses. Present
your output creatively (Criteria: Critical Thinking-5, Communication-5, Creativity-5).

Summary
• The speed of light is finite and it can travel through empty space in straight lines.

• In a given phenomenon, light behaves as a wave, a particle or both.

• In Corpuscular (Particle) Theory formulated by Isaac Newton, he thought of light as made

up of particles that travel through space on a straight line.

• In the Wave Theory of Light, light is considered as an electromagnetic wave that

propagates in the direction of the wave motion.

• The energy of light is directly proportional to its frequency. The higher the frequency the
higher is the energy.

• We get easily sunburned when we are exposed to ultraviolet light because it has higher
energy than visible light.

• The colors of objects we see depend on the frequency of the light that is reflected in our
eyes.

7
 Assessment (Posttest)
Multiple Choice. Select the letter of the best answer from among the given choices.

1. Why do we see objects as black?

A. It absorbs all the light. B. It absorbs some light & reflects some.
C. It reflects all the light. D. It reflects some light and absorbs the rest.

2. Which of the following best describes the refraction phenomenon?

A, It is explained better using the wave model of light than the particle model of light.
B. It is explained using the photon theory of light.
C. The particle model predicts that particles of light will speed up as they pass through
the boundary between air and water.
D. The wave model correctly predicts that light will slow down as it passes through the
boundary between air and water

3. Which of the following best describes light?

A. energy B. inertia
C. momentum D. motion

4. Color is dependent on which physical quantity?

A. amplitude B. frequency
C. mode D. wavelength

5. E=hf is an equation that describes the relationship between the energy (E) and frequency
of light (f). Why do we easily get sunburned in ultraviolet light but not in visible light?
A. Ultraviolet light is of higher frequency than visible light; therefore, it has a higher
energy and is sufficiently energetic to cause skin damage,
B. Ultraviolet light has longer wavelengths than visible light; therefore, it has lower
energy and is sufficiently energetic to cause skin damage
C. Ultraviolet light has shorter wavelengths than visible light; therefore, it has higher
energy and is sufficiently energetic to cause skin damage
D. Ultraviolet light is of lower frequency than visible light; therefore, it has a lower
energy and is sufficiently energetic to cause skin damage

6. Which of the following colors has the shortest wavelength?

A. blue B. green
C. red D. yellow

7. Where are the highest frequencies found?

A. radar waves B. radio waves
C. ultraviolet waves D. X-rays

8. Which quality never changes when a beam of light enters one medium from another?
A. acceleration B. frequency
C. speed D. wavelength

9. Which of the following describes the path that light travels?

A. curve B. straight
C. wave-like D. zigzag

8
10. In photographic darkrooms, what is the reason why red light is used?
A. Most of photographic films are not sensitive to red light.
B. Photographic paper is not sensitive to white light.
C. The frequency for red light is low hence the energy of the photos is less.
D. The frequency of the red light is high hence the energy of the photos is high.

11. Between red and violet, which color has greater frequency?
A. red B. violet
C. the same D. undetermined

12. How do we see a tree?

A. The light that reaches our eyes has been reflected by the tree.
B. The light that reaches our eyes has been refracted by the tree.
C. The light that reaches our eyes has been separated into a spectrum by the tree.
D. The light that reaches our eyes has undergone interference in passing through
the tree.

13. For light rays, which of the following is FALSE?

A. They are mechanical waves.
B. They create a sensation in our eyes.
C. They do not need a medium for propagation.
D. They travel in a straight line.

14. Why is it said that light has a dual nature? It exhibits the properties of ____________ .
A. particles and waves B. polarization and scattering
C. reflection and refraction D. transmission and absorption

15. In reflection, how is the wave theory of light related to particle theory of light?
A. They complement each other.
B. They are contradicting each other.
C. There is no difference between the wave theory and particle theory of light.
D. Together, they show that reflection is popular than refraction.

9
 KEY TO ANSWER

What I Know (Pretest): Assessment (Posttest):

1. C 6. A 11. C 1. A 6. A 11. B
2. B 7. B 12. D 2. A 7. D 12. A
3. C 8. C 13. C 3. A 8. B 13. A
4. A 9. C 14. A 4. B 9. B 14. A
5. C 10. A 15. A 5. A 10. A 15. C

Activity 3.1.1 Observing a Ball’s Path at Different Speeds

Speed Observation of Ball’s Path
slow Curve/parabolic
fast straight

Activity 3.1.2 Reflecting Me

Phenomena Description
By Wave Theory of Light By Particle Theory of Light
Reflection bounces bounces
Refraction bends bends

Activity 3.1.3 My Learning Log Answers may vary

Activity 3.1.4 Exploring How Light Travels
1. When there is light source 2. Yes
3. Distance from light source 4. Facing the light source
Activity 3.2.3 My Learning Log Answers may vary
Activity 3.2.1 Arranging Rainbow Colors

Parameter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
frequency red orange yellow green blue indigo violet
Energy red orange yellow green blue indigo violet
Observation: Energy increases as frequency increases

Activity 3.2.2 1. D 2. A 3. A Activity 3.2.3 Answers may vary

Activity 3.2.4 Spotting Similarities and Differences

(Sample answer)

10
REFERENCES
DepEd CDO Learning Activity Sheets in Physical Science Shared Options LAS (Cagayan de
Oro City: DepEd CDO, 2019) https://bit.ly/3dF9Kdb

Project EASE Physics Module 3: The Nature and Properties of Light

https://lrmds.deped.gov.ph/detail/6710

Hewitt,Paul G., Suchocki, John and Hewitt, Leslie A.Conceptual Physical Science, 2nd ed
(USA: Addison Wesley Longman, 1999)

Punzalan, Jervie. M. and Monserrat, Richard C., Physical Science in Today’s World (Quezon
City: Sibs Publishing House, 2016)

1123
FAIR USE AND CONTENT DISCLAIMER: This SLM (Self Learning Module) is for educational purposes only.
Borrowed materials (i.e., songs, stories, poems, pictures, photos, brand names, trademarks, etc.) included in these
modules are owned by their respective copyright holders. The publisher and authors do not represent nor claim
ownership over them. Sincerest appreciation to those who have made significant contributions to these modules.

For inquiries and feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education – Bureau of Learning Resources (DepEd-BLR)

DepEd Division of Cagayan de Oro City

Fr. William F. Masterson Ave Upper Balulang Cagayan de Oro
Telefax: ((08822)855-0048
E-mail Address: cagayandeoro.city@deped.gov.ph