WEEK 3

CHARACTERISTICS OF LIGHT.

Light is a visible form of energy which is radiated outward from a

source. Light is a form of wave motion: It spread outwards from
a source in much the same way that ripples spread outwards
from the point where a stone is dropped into a pond.
Light is one type of electromagnetic wave. Instead of traveling in
a material medium, like sound or water waves, light waves travel
as electrical and magnetic signals through empty space.
For this reason it is possible for light waves to travel through a
vacuum, and this is how light can reach us from the sun across a
distance of 150million kilometers. There are other types of
electromagnetic wave such as radio wave, heat radiation, and X-
rays. These are different because they have different wave
lengths.
SOURCES OF LIGHT.

A source of light is referred to as the origin of sensation of vision.

A light ray is produced from one particular source. The source
through which light is produced is called luminous objects. It is
capable of producing light rays itself.

Luminous object

Self. Luminous Self luminous Man- made

Of nature of living creatures luminous source

Sun Star Glow-worm Electric Touch- Lamp

Candle
Figure 5; Diagram showing the natural and artificial
sources of light.

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Figure 5 above shows the sources of light. A source could either
be luminous or non-luminous. Natural sources are sun, stars,
glowworms, and are referred to as self luminous because they
give light on their own without depending on other sources of
light. While those that give light from other sources are regarded
as non-luminous.

COLOUR SEPARATION.

White light is a natural source of light that consist of lights of

varying wavelengths. It can be separated into spectrum of
colours. A spectrum of colours consists of seven different colours
known as ROYGBIV.
Separation of White Light into Colours Light from many sources,
such as the sun, appears white. When white light passes through
a prism, however, it separates into a spectrum of varied colours.
The prism bends, or refracts, light of different colours at different
angles. Red light bends the least and violet light bends the most.

Diagram Showing the Separation of Light into Colours Using a

Triangular Prism.

figure6; spectrum of light.

Nature of Light
Straight-line Motion of Light Since light travels in straight lines,
straight-sided objects cast straight-sided shadows this is known
as straight line motion of light. Here columns in bright sunlight

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cast a series of shadows, forming a regular geometric pattern. A
shadow is simply an area that appears dark because light is
prevented from reaching it by some obstacle. A shadow is never
completely dark, because some light is reflected into it from its
surroundings. In addition, the edge of a shadow forms a soft
“penumbra”, because light from part of the source can reach that
area.

Figure7; DIAGRAM SHOWING THE ABILITY OF LIGHT TO CAST SHADOWS OF

OBJECTS PLACED ON THEIR PATH.

Light is emitted from a source in straight lines and spreads out

over a larger and larger area as it travels; the light per unit area
diminishes as the square of the distance increases. When light
strikes an object, it is either absorbed or reflected; light reflected
from a rough surface is scattered in all directions. Some
frequencies are reflected more strongly than others, and this
gives objects their characteristic colour. White surfaces scatter
light of all wavelengths equally, and black surfaces absorb nearly
all light. Image-forming reflection, on the other hand, requires a
highly polished surface such as that of a mirror.
Defining the nature of light has always been a fundamental
problem in physics. The English mathematician and physicist Sir
Isaac Newton described light as an emission of particles, and the
Dutch astronomer, mathematician, and physicist Christian
Huygens developed the theory that light travels by a wave
motion.

It is now believed that these two theories are essentially

complementary, and the development of quantum theory has led

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to the recognition that in some experiments light acts like a
series of particles and in other experiments it acts like a wave. In
those situations in which it travels in wave motion, the wave
vibrates at right angles to the direction of travel; therefore light
can be polarized in two mutually perpendicular planes (see
Optics).

CHARACTERISTICS OF LIGHT.

Some of the characteristics of light include:

 Ability to travel in a straight line
 Ability to produces shadow when obstructed along its path
of propagation
 Ability to be reflected
 Light can be refracted
 Light can be diffracted
 Light can be polarized

SABINE’S FORMULA

Prof. Wallace C. Sabine (1868-1919) experimented on the

reverberations times in an empty hall and also in a furnish
walls of different sizes and arrived at the following
conclusion.
 The reverberation time depends on the reflecting properties
of the walls floor and ceiling of the hall. if they are good
reflectors of sound, the sound would take a longer time
before it die away and the reverberation time will be long;
 The reverberation time depends directly upon the physical
volume V of the hall;
 The reverberation time depend on the coefficient of
absorption of various surfaces such as carpets, cushions,
curtains etc present in the hall. The greater the absorption,
the shorter the time of reverberation;
 The reverberation time depends on frequency of the sound
wave because absorption coefficients of most of the
material increase will the frequency. Hence, high frequency
wave would have shorter reverberation through the
following relation

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 REVERBERATION Time, T ∞ volume of the hall, V
Absorption, A

I.e. T ∞ V
A

T=KV where k = constant of proportionality

A

Experimentally the value of k = 0.161

T = 0.161V
A
This equation is called Sabine’s formula.

EXERCISE

 Explain the need for an artificial source of light.

 With the aid of a prism, explain the dispersion of white
light.