In the early 20th century, the nature of light was a hot topic. Scientists knew it behaved like a wave, thanks to Maxwell’s equations. However, in 1905, Albert Einstein proposed that light could also be seen as particles, or “quanta” of energy, which he called photons. This idea was revolutionary and earned him a Nobel … Read more
The story of the photoelectric effect begins in the late 19th century. In 1887, Heinrich Hertz discovered that ultraviolet light could cause sparks to jump between two metal electrodes. Wilhelm Hallwachs followed up on Hertz’s work and found that ultraviolet light could make a zinc plate emit electrons, which he called “photoelectrons.” Fast forward to … Read more
The story of light polarization is quite fascinating and begins in the 17th century. It was a time of great scientific discovery and one of the mysteries that puzzled scientists was the nature of light. Erasmus Bartholinus, a Danish scientist, made a groundbreaking discovery in 1669. He was studying a naturally occurring crystal called Iceland … Read more
The story of diffraction begins in the 17th century with an Italian scientist named Francesco Maria Grimaldi. He was the first to document the phenomenon of diffraction in detail. In his work “Physico-Mathesis de Lumine, Coloribus, et Iride” (Physical-Mathematical Treatise on Light, Colors, and the Rainbow), published posthumously in 1665, Grimaldi described how light bends … Read more
The story of Young’s Double Slit Experiment begins in the early 19th century with a physicist named Thomas Young. At that time, the nature of light was a hotly debated topic. Some scientists, like Isaac Newton, thought light was made up of particles, while others believed it behaved like a wave. Imagine if light were … Read more
The journey into understanding coherent and incoherent waves begins with the fundamental nature of light and its wave-like behavior. Historically, the debate over whether light was composed of particles or waves was a significant one, with notable figures like Isaac Newton advocating for the particle theory. However, it was the wave theory of light that … Read more
In the 17th century, light was a mystery. Some thought it was made of particles, while others believed it was a wave. Enter Christiaan Huygens, a Dutch scientist passionate about understanding the natural world. In 1678, Huygens proposed a radical idea that would change the way we see light forever. Huygens suggested that light could … Read more