Students read a detailed description and explanation of Thomas Young's experiment which played a major role in the general acceptance of the wave theory of light.

An introduction to the concept of the visible light spectrum provided in an animated format.

Where can we experience the phenomenon that light taking two paths from two locations to the same point in space can undergo constructive and destructive interference? There are several answers to these questions and they will be...

Explains single slit diffraction and models how to calculate different characteristics of the light waves.

Instructional module focusing on light and electromagnetism. Discussion includes historical discoveries that led to the understanding of the electromagnetic spectrum. Site also includes an interactive practice quiz and links relating to...

In this third part of his series on light and color, Colm Kelleher discusses wave-particle duality and its relationship to how we see light and, therefore, color. [4:23]

This article helps illustrate the behavior of electrons as waves and the uncertainty principle.

A discussion of Christian Huygens' contribution to wave optics, and particularly to our understanding of the reflection and refraction of light. Excellent diagrams and a geometric proof on why the law of reflection is mathematically...

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Students investigate diffraction of light and the interference patterns that are produced through constructive and destructive interference of the waves. Students...

Here is described a simple process to 'put a voice on a sunbeam' and transmit it over a distance. It is a fascinating example of amplitude modulation of light using sound vibrations. It then describes how the modulated light is detected...

An excellent resource for Spanish speaking science students. Provides a thorough description of infrared light, what it does and how it is used. Provides excellent pictures depicting actual use.

Students learn about the properties of light as a photon and the wave-particle duality.

Colm Kelleher describes the physics behind colors- why the colors we see are related to the period of motion and the frequency of waves. [3:09]

Learn about light properties through practice with formulas. This resource shows the relationship between the speed of light, its wavelength, and its frequency. A fairly simple, but important relationship.

See how light knocks electrons off a metal target, and recreate the experiment that spawned the field of quantum mechanics. Describe how the results lead to the photon model of light.

The Victorian period heralded a new wave of poetry that was influenced by its Romantic predecessors yet distinctly different. Read articles on how the Victorian poets approached composition, form and language, and what inspired their...

This timeline compiles an enormous amount of historical information from the field of optics. From 300 BCE to the present, strategic experiments, findings, and theories are described.

This site from The Florida State University provides an informational page on electromagnetic radiation discusses the characteristics and properties of its many forms including X-rays, gamma rays, ultraviolet radiation, infrared...

Although it is arguably the most successful theory in physics, quantum physics has often baffled and confounded both its practitioners and the general public. This informative website discusses the types of mysteries, which still plague...

Albert Einstein publishes his special theory of relativity and his theory on the quantum nature of light, which he identified as both a particle and a wave. With ever new appliances, electricity begins to transform everyday life.