Light

Article

Light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye, usually covering wavelengths of roughly 380 to 750 nanometres. The term is also used more broadly for ultraviolet and infrared radiation.

Light displays both wave-like and particle-like behaviour. It can interfere and diffract as a wave, while its energy is exchanged in discrete photons.

When light interacts with matter it may be reflected, refracted, scattered, absorbed, transmitted, or emitted. Colour depends on the spectral distribution of the radiation and the response of the visual system.

Light enables vision, photosynthesis, optical communication, imaging, measurement, astronomy, and spectroscopy. Its speed in vacuum is a fundamental physical constant used to define the metre.

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• Source / publisher: Wikipedia
• URL type: WWW
• Credits: Wikipedia
• URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light