PHYSICS 1X00 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5.6: Double-Slit Experiment, Heinrich Hertz, Wavefront
25 Apr 2018
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Below are several famous historical scientists and their opinions about the debate. Cristiaan huygens: (early 1600"s) huygens originally proposed a model where he believed that small waves interfere to form a wavefront. Light beams were actually wavefronts composed of smaller waves. Isaac newton: (mid 1600"s) newton proposed that light was made of small particles called corpuscles. this successfully explained how light is reflected off of surfaces and refracted when entering into new mediums. Newton described prisms splitting light by claiming that each colour had a different mass. Thomas young: (early 1800"s) young successfully performed a double slit experiment that showed that light interfered the same as a wave would, thus showing the most compelling evidence that light was a wave. James maxwell: (mid 1800"s) maxwell showed, using mathematics, that light propagated at the same speed as electromagnetic waves, thus concluding that light was an electromagnetic wave. Heinrich hertz experimentally confirmed this in his classroom.
