The Nature of Light
Light is electromagnetic radiation, a form of energy that travels in waves. The term usually refers to visible light, a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to the human eye.
- For interferometry, we are interested in the wave properties of light.
A light wave showing the electric and magnetic components of the wave
Zygo
Wave Anatomy
It is important to know the definitions of the characteristics which describe a wave. A typical transverse wave and its components are shown below.
Anatomy of a Wave
MCL
Definitions:
- Crest is the highest point of the wave.
- Trough is the lowest point of the wave.
- Amplitude (corresponds to energy of the wave) is the distance from the baseline to a crest of trough.
- Wavelength (corresponds to the frequency and speed of the wave) is the distance between two corresponding points on neighboring waves.
Knowledge Check:
- What is white light?
- Can you define the parts of a wave?
For further reading on Electromagnetic Radiation, see Wikipedia(link is external) page.
For further reading on White Light, see Wikipedia(link is external) page.
For further reading on Wave Anatomy, see APlusPhysics.com(link is external) page on Wave Characteristics.