PHYS 284 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Radiant Energy, Electromagnetic Spectrum, Electric Field
27 Sep 2020
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Document Summary
Light comes in many colors that combine to form white light. A: matter can emit light, absorb light, transmit light, and reflect (or scatter) light. Interaction between light and matter determines the appearance of everything we see. The warmth of sunlight means light is a form of energy. The energy that light carries is called radiative energy . The rate of energy flow: power: measured in units of watts= 1 watt = 1 joule/s. Newton proved that the colors came from the light by placing a second prism in front of the light of just one color of the rainbow being produced. White light is made up of any different colors. Light can interact with matter in any different ways. Emission: matter emits or releases radiant energy. Transmission: incoming radiant energy is re-emitted: transparent objects transmit light, opaque objects block (absorb) light, colored glass can be used as a filter.
