2006-08-22 01:16:07 · 5 answers · asked by tom science 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
both actually. light is niether a wave nor a collection of particles... it's more of a strange amalgamum (sp?) of the two. essentially, light propegates like a wave, but it also is composed of packets of energy known as photons. the wave properties allow us to see at different frequency ranges (color, etc) while the packet properties allow the light to travel through "vacuum" in space, where waves like sound cannot go.
2006-08-22 04:47:01 · answer #1 · answered by promethius9594 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If a stream is a flux,than that is the way light travels. If light was not a flux falling on an area or volume we would not be able to get a feed back on the shape of things we see with our eyes.
If you try to observe a wave it is very difficult for our eyes to follow since waves continually change in amplitde and frequency. Your eye balls would have to move all over the place to follow a wave.
If you have doubts try an experiment.
2006-08-22 09:43:10 · answer #2 · answered by goring 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Both. It's called the wave/particle duality.
There is even a wave/particle duality for tiny particles having mass (e.g. electrons) because of quantum wave effects. This is how electron microscopes work.
The practicing scientist will use the theory (wave or photon) that mostly easily addresses the problem at hand.
2006-08-22 13:22:49 · answer #3 · answered by Tom H 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
wave form.. light is a transverse wave.
2006-08-22 09:07:01 · answer #4 · answered by neha 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Light could not be understood by great scientist like maxwell.
How can i answer it
2006-08-22 09:52:47 · answer #5 · answered by abhishek s 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋