Light can be considered electromagnetic radiation and encompasses many forms, including the visible light from light bulbs, the microwaves that cook our food, the x-rays used to make pictures of our insides, and the ultraviolet light that gives us sun burns.
Light is a primary tool for perceiving the world and interacting with it for many organisms. Light from the Sun warms the Earth, drives global weather patterns, and initiates the life-sustaining process of photosynthesis; about 10 22 joules of solar radiant energy reach Earth each day.
And what are some of the common properties of light, such as absorption, reflection, refraction and diffraction? You might think scientists know all the answers, but light continues to surprise them.
Light is one of the most fundamental topics in physics and plays a crucial role in how we perceive the world around us. Light can be described as electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye.
Light is just one form of electromagnetic radiation, or electromagnetic waves. These waves are all around us and come in many sizes. The largest electromagnetic waves, with wavelengths from a few centimeters to over 100 meters are called radio waves.
In order to see, there must be light. Light shines on an object, then bounces off, or reflects, back to our eyes. Our eyes are sensitive to a certain kind of light called visible light. Visible light is all the colors (red, yellow, blue, etc.) that we can see. But there are many other kinds…
Simply stated, light is nature's way of transferring energy through space. We can complicate it by talking about interacting electric and magnetic fields, quantum mechanics, and all of that, but just remember-- light is energy. Light travels very rapidly, but it does have a finite velocity.