Electromagnetic Spectrum

Wave-Particle Duality

Light is complicated as it can act as both a wave and as a particle.

A particle of light is known as a photon. These can be thought of as little packets of light, carrying energy. When we take a photograph on a modern camera, or on a telescope camera, we count these photons. The more we count the brighter an object is - we call this measurement the flux.

When light acts as a wave, it still carries energy, but it has a bunch of other information too. This helps us to understand more about it.

Every wave (e.g., light, water, or sound) has the following features:


Interferometry

What is Interferometry?

Interferometry is a technique used by scientists and engineers. Tools called interferometers add together 2 or more waves of light. When they do this, the waves of light interact (or interfere) with each other. This can add the waves together, making them brighter. It can also cancel the waves out. Interference only takes place if the waves come from the same object or have the same frequency. We call these types of wave coherent.


Pages