WAVE PROPERTIES

OF LIGHT
Dispersion
is the separation of visible light into its different colors.
Each color of light has a distinct wave frequency, and different
frequencies will bend in varying amounts as the light ray passes
through a medium like prism or raindrop. Those with higher
frequency has shorter wavelengths, and light spectra with lower
frequency have longer wavelengths.
Colors of the visible light spectra that have shorter wavelength
(blue, indigo, violet) will be deviated more from their original path
than the colors with longer wavelengths (red, orange, yellow). That is
the reason why red is on top while violet is at the bottom of the
spectrum.
The emergence of different colors of light from
a triangular prism at different angles leads an
observer to see the component colors of visible
light separated from each other – the rainbow
phenomenon.
The emergence of different colors of light from a triangular prism at different angles
leads an observer to see the component colors of visible light separated from each
other – the rainbow phenomenon.

Figure 2: The bending of red and blue light spectra in a prism

https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/refrn/Lesson-4/Dispersion-of-Light-by-Prisms
In Figure 3-a, white light is dispersed by the prism. The angles of refraction vary
with wavelength. A sequence of red to violet is produced, because the index of
refraction increases steadily with decreasing wavelength.

Figure 3-a: Separation of light spectra in a prism.

Part of the light falling on the water droplet enters and is reflected from the back of
the drop. This light is refracted and dispersed both as it enters and as it leaves the
drop as shown in Figure 3-b.
Dispersion is not restricted only to glass and water
droplet, but all transparent media exhibit some
dispersion. Dispersion of light provides evidence
for the existence of a spectrum of wavelengths
present in visible light. It is also the basis for
understanding the formation of rainbows, which
are produced by the refraction and reflection of
light in a water droplet in the sky.
Scattering
is the phenomenon in which light rays are
redirected from its straight path when striking an
obstacle like dust or gas molecules, water vapors etc.
light gives rise to many spectacular phenomena
such as Tyndall effect and the “red hues of sunrise
and sunset”.
3 Main Types of Solar
Radiation Scattering
 named after Lord John Rayleigh who first
described it in 1870’s.
occurs when the scattering particles are small
1. Rayleigh compared to the wavelength of light interacting
with it. These particles are mostly molecules of
Scattering atmospheric gases. The amount of scattering is
inversely proportional to the wavelength, meaning
lights of shorter wavelengths are scattered more
than lights of longer wavelengths.
accounts for the blue skies and red-orange sunrise
and sunset. When light enters the atmosphere,
Figure 5-a: Rayleigh scattering is violet and blue lights are scattered the most.
responsible for the blue color of the
sky.
However, our eyes are more sensitive to blue than
violet light, thus the skies appear blue.
 At sunrise or sunset, sunlight travels
farther through the atmosphere. The longer
distance would mean much of the blue
wavelengths or shorter wavelengths are
scattered completely, thus leaving only the
longer wavelengths (yellow, orange, and
red).

Figure 5-b: Rayleigh scatter is

responsible for the red-orange sunrise.
 occurs when the wavelength of the
electromagnetic radiation has a similar size
to the atmospheric particles.
2. Mie Influences radiation from the near UV
Scattering through the mid- infrared parts of the
spectrum.
The scattering of light mostly occurs in the
lower portions of the atmosphere where
larger particles are more abundant and
dominates when cloud conditions are
overcast.
Figure 6: Haze over the sky of Manila Pollen, dust, and smog are major cause of
mie scatter. It produces general haze in the
atmosphere.
 happens when the particles are
much larger than th wavelength of
3. Non – light.
Selective scatters all radiation evenly
Scattering throughout the visible and infrared
portions of the spectrum - hence the
term nonselective.
Common particles responsible for
non-selective scattering are water
droplets and large dust particles.
Figure 7: White clouds caused
by non-selective scattering
All wavelengths are scattered almost
equally which cause the fog and
clouds to appear white (left).
Interference
is the combination of waves moving on intersecting
or coincident paths.
spectrum of colors reflected from a soap bubble,
from an oil slick or gasoline on a wet road, from the
glossy surface of a compact disc, silvery scales of
some fishes, abalone shells and capiz are all
produced by the interference of light.
2 Types of Interference
CONSTRUCTIVE INTERFERENCE
If the wavelengths of the two
reflected rays are "in phase," they will
enhance each other.
It means that the two crests of two
waves coincide (the red and dark blue (a)
waves in fig. 9-b), resulting into a
reinforce amplitude which is equal to
the sum of the amplitudes of the two
waves (sky blue broken wave in fig. 9-
b).
(b)
2. DESTRUCTIVE INTERFERENCE
Partial destructive interference
results when the two waves occurs when two waves are of
arrive together at a completely completely opposite phase and
opposite phase that is crest to they form a new wave of reduced
trough. amplitude.
Complete destructive
interference- when two waves
are of completely opposite
phase, they cancel each other
out.
Diffraction
The bending of light around an obstacle and subsequent
spreading of light waves into the region behind an obstacle.
examples of these obstacles are a slit, a wire, a hole,
strands of hair, feathers, strings, or a straight edge and the
like.
When the obstacles are illuminated by a beam of
monochromatic light from a point source, fuzzy shadows are
casted at the edges. The shadows casted are bordered by
alternating light and dark bands, upon closed scrutiny.
The amount of diffraction depends on the width of
the slit compared to the light’s wavelength.
Very little diffraction occurs when the slit is
considerably larger than the wavelength.
A substantial diffraction is observed when the width
of the slit is comparable to the wavelength of the
light.