INTRODUCTION TO

LIGHT WAVES
In this module, you will be able to:

Describe Compare
what happens
Cite the
contributions
Cite
and contrast
when of examples the
light is Newton and
refracted, Descartes in
of particle
theory and
the wave
reflected, the study of waves; theory of
transmitted, the colors
and of light; and light
absorbed;
WAVE
S
• Disturbances in space and time
• They cannot travel in a vacuum
or empty space
• They require a medium for
propagation
LIGHT WAVES
• Form of an EM wave that is
propagated perpendicular to the source
of energy.
• They travel in straight path.
PROPERTIES OF LIGHT
Refraction
PROPERTIES OF LIGHT
Absorption
REFLECTION
• It is the bending of
light as it travels
from one medium
to another with
different refractive
indices.
REFLECTION
REFRACTIVE INDEX
 Relative quantification of
how a medium
propagates a specific
wavelength of light.
REFLECTION
REFLECTION
An image INCIDENT ANGLE OF NORMAL
formed on a RAY INCIDENCE VECTOR
plane  Light  Angle  an
mirror is imaginary
striking formed line
virtual,
upright and
the by the perpendicular
reversed (or to the
laterally plane incident
surface of
inverted). mirror ray the plane
REFLECTION
REFLECTED
BOTH HAVE
RAYS COMMON
 Formed REFERENCE POINT
(THE NORMAL) ;
light
when strikes
FOLLOWS THE LAW
the
surface of OF REFLECTION
an object
REFLECTION

LAW OF REFLECTION
 Angle of incidence is equal to the
angle of reflection
REFRACTION
 It is bending of light as it
passes through different
media or materials with
different densities. It happens
because light waves change
their speed as they travel
from one medium to another.
REFRACTION

VIRTUAL/APPEARANCE IMAGE
 image that appears in a different
location than its actual
location
REFRACTION
WHAT CAUSES REFRACTION?

 Ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum and

the speed of light in the material.
𝑐 n = index of refraction
𝑛= c = speed of light in a vacuum
𝑣 v = speed of light in a specific medium
REFRACTION

NEWTONIAN PHYSICS
 There is no speed greater than the speed of
light; thus, the indices of refraction of different
materials are always greater than 1.
TRANSMISSION
Refers to the process where
light passes through an
object or medium without
being absorbed. Thus, any
portion of light that is not
absorbed by an object is
said to be transmitted.
TRANSMISSION
TRANSMITTANCE (T)
 Ratio between the absorbed light (I)
and the incident light (Io)
 It is unitless and is used as a relative
comparison of how efficient a medium is
in transmitting light.
TRANSMISSION
Transmitted light = Incident light – Absorbed light

1
T = 10
%T = 100T
TRANSMISSION
Transmissio
n of solar
light in a
tinted glass
ABSORPTION
Occurs as light passes
through a medium with the
same natural frequency.
As light travels through a
medium, a portion of it is
absorbed.
COLOR OF
LIGHT

Isaac Newton Rene Descartes

COLOR OF
LIGHT
PRISM
 Medium that diffracts
life
SEVEN COLORS
 ROYGBIV
COLOR OF
LIGHT he provided the explanation
Rene Descartes

for the rainbow’s position and

formation using a single water
droplet analysis. He made a
sketch of some conditions.
COLOR OF
LIGHT
RAINBOW
 A manifestation that indeed light is composed
of seven colors (red, orange, yellow, green,
blue, indigo and violet)
COLOR OF
LIGHT
According to him, rainbow is
formed as a result of light’s
refraction as it passed through
water droplet’s in the
atmosphere.
COLOR OF
LIGHT
Three conditions:
1. Light must be present
2.Water droplets must be
present in the atmosphere.
3.The sun should be directly
opposite the droplet and
behind the observer.
COLOR OF
LIGHT he provided an explanation
Rene Descartes

on where the colors of a

rainbow come from.
COLOR OF
LIGHT
SPECTRUM
 Components of light with
varying wavelengths
DUAL NATURE OF
LIGHT
The wave-particle duality of light is a paradigm
wherein light is viewed as both a wave and a
particle.

Light has both the properties of a wave (form of

energy) and a particle.