Historical Milestones

Development of Light Theory

Historical Development

Isaac Newton Particle Theory & Prism

Christiaan Huygens Wave Theory
Thomas Young Double-Slit Experiment
James Maxwell Electromagnetic Theory
Heinrich Hertz Radiowaves & Wireless
Experiment
William Roentgen X-rays
Max Planck Radiation Theory
Albert Einstein Photo Model
Isaac Newton (1642-1727)

Particle Model of Light

(1671)
Light rays is comprised
of a stream of massless
particles
Particle Model of Light (1671)

Explains straight-line propagation of light:

Follows laws of reflection and refraction
Explains colours of light:
White light contains different colour particles
Prism sorts the different particles of light

http://www.sciencephoto.com/image/227396/530wm/H4140126-Newton_s_optics-SPL.jpg
 Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695)

Wave Theory (1678)

Light is a wave that
can transfer energy
without transferring
matter
Light waves have
varying
wavelengths,
frequencies, speeds
and amplitude
 Wave Theory (1678)

Follows laws of reflection and refraction

Explains diffraction: the effect of waves when
encountering an obstacle
Constructive and destructive interference
http://www.sciencephoto.com/image/2511/530wm/A1800254-Water_waves-SPL.jpg
 Wave Theory
Waves are additive:
constructive interference
Example: waves in the ocean are
bigger when more than one wave
moves together
Waves are subtractive:
destructive interference
A wave that meets a trough of
equal amplitude cancel each
other out (net zero amplitude)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Doubleslit3Dspectrum.gif http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Doubleslit.svg
Thomas Young (1773 1829)

Wave Theory of Light

Proved that light
propagates as a wave
Performed an
experiment that
demonstrated
interference patterns
in light that followed
the rules of diffraction
seen in water waves
 A coherent light is
shone through a
thin plate pierced
by two parallel slits

http://www.thestargarden.co.uk/images/163.%20Double%20slit%20waves.png
Double-Slit Experiment (1801)

wave nature of light causes the light waves passing

through the two slits to interfere, producing bright
and dark bands on the screen
 James Maxwell (18311879)

Electromagnetic Theory
Proposed that electric
and magnetic fields travel
through space in the form
of waves at the speed of
light.
Electricity, magnetism
and light all manifest
together in the form of an
electromagnetic field that
does not require a
medium for transmission.
Heinrich Hertz (1857-1894)
Discovered radio
waves
First to prove the
existence of
electromagnetic
waves by using a
device that transmit
and receive radio
pulses
Hertz Wireless Experiment (1887)

http://www.sparkmuseum.com/HERTZ.HTM
 Hertz Wireless Experiment (1887)

Engineered a device that makes a

spark
If the spark sent EM waves, it would
be transmitted and picked up by the
receiver which would also spark
Also measured length and velocity
of EM wave
Showed that EM wave reflected
and refracted the same as light
waves
Proved that light is electromagnetic
radiation
William Konrad Roentgen (1845-1923)

Produced and
detected x-rays
Nobel Prize in
Physics (1901)
 Max Planck (1858-1947)
Radiation theory:
electromagnetic
radiation is emitted
in quanta
Light energy is not
continuous like in a
wave
Rather light is
delivered in small
parcels / packets of
energy
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Photon model
Light functions both as
particle and wave
Light is composed of
particles (photons) that
travel as waves
Each photon has energy
that is proportional to
the frequency of its
wave