Duality of Light

Light can act like a wave and a particle at the same time.

Light behaves like a wave because:

- It's an electromagnetic wave with properties like wavelength, frequency, and amplitude.

- It travels in a straight line at a constant speed of 3 X 108 m/s.

- It can interfere with itself, causing patterns of light and dark.

- It shows the Doppler effect, just like sound.

- When light hits an object, it can pass through, bounce back, get absorbed, change direction, spread out, or become polarized. This depends on the object and the type of light.

Light can also act like a bunch of tiny particles called "photons."

- We can think of light as tiny packets of energy called photons. They have a certain amount of energy but no mass.

- The photoelectric effect is strong evidence for light behaving like particles. It explains how light hitting a metal surface causes the release of electrons. The brightness of the light affects how many electrons are released, but not their energy.

- Solar cells are an example of using light to make electricity. They convert light energy, carried by photons, into electrical energy.