2007-08-13 07:10:04 · 6 answers · asked by psilocyphener 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Light waves oscillate perpendicular to the direction of wave travel, which makes them transverse or translational. Sound waves are compression or longitudinal waves in that they oscillate in the direction of travel.
A light wave of length L = ct; where c is light speed and t is called a period when it is based on traveling one wave length (which is also called a cycle). When t = period in seconds/cycle, we have f = 1/t in cycles/sec, which is the frequency of light.
Then we have L = ct; so that t = L/c and f = c/L or Lf = c. This last one shows that as the frequency of an EM wave (like light or radio) increases, the wavelength L has to decrease so that c stays fixed. This is why we can say a shortwave radio has a higher frequency than a long wave radio. Or blue light has a shorter length and higher frequency than red light.
The light waves oscillate all around the direction of travel. If we look at a bundle of photons from behind their direction of travel, we'll see them oscillating 360 degrees around the direction of travel.
But Polaroid lenses can filter out all but one orientation around that direction. So, for example, if one lens filters out all but the translational vibration between 12 and 6 o'clock (0 degrees and 180 degrees), we can completely block out the light by adding a second lens to block out the remaining polarized light from the first lens.
2007-08-13 07:33:47 · answer #1 · answered by oldprof 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Transverse Light Waves
2017-01-12 09:54:52 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Light is an electromagnetic wave. It has an oscillating electric field and an oscillating magnetic field.
The electric and magnetic fields are perpendicular to each other.
Perpendicular to both is a vector called (coincidentally) the Poynting vector.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poynting_vector
The Poynting vector points in the direction of the motion of the light wave.
This makes the electromagnetic wave a transverse wave.
2007-08-13 07:57:30 · answer #3 · answered by 2 meter man 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Transverse wave - oscillations are perpendicular to the wave direction, like a sine wave
2007-08-13 07:42:43 · answer #4 · answered by Pete S 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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your right. they both are transverse, there is no type of light that is not transverse
2016-04-05 06:07:50 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
light is transverse because its disturbance occurs perpendicular to the direction of travel of the wave.
2016-02-13 08:16:14 · answer #6 · answered by kabelo 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋