L07 Chem 111A Lecture Notes - Lecture 30: Electronvolt, Double-Slit Experiment, Junkers J 1
Document Summary
Key concepts of the wave-particle duality of light. Light can be mysterious; sometimes light behaves as waves, as we saw in young"s double-slit experiment, and under different circumstances light behaves as a particle, as we will discuss in coming lectures. Light wave-particles do not need a medium for propagation they can travel through vacuum. They do not have mass, yet they do transfer both energy and momentum. Light waves (or light) are also called electromagnetic (em) radiation. These waves comprise oscillating electric ( ) and magnetic ( or ) fields propagating in the same direction with nodes in the same positions, but with amplitudes in planes that are perpendicular to each other, as illustrated below. There are no nodes in a traveling wave. 4. 2 from pg 127 of oxtoby: light consists of waves of oscillating electric and magnetic fields that are perpendicular to each other and to the direction of propagation of the light.
