Light

What Is Light?

Annie's family was having a bonfire last weekend. It was getting dark outside, so she stayed near the bonfire. But that made her curious: How do bonfires create light much like the Sun does? So, Annie asked her dad.

He explained that, like the bonfire, the sun burns gasses to emit (or give off) light. However, the sun burns different types of gasses, which explains why the sun gives off a different color of light than the bonfire.

While they use different types of gasses, there is one main reason that both emit light: the burning of gasses causes a chemical reaction that creates electromagnetic energy, which is a type of energy that takes the form of magnetic and electrical waves.

In physics, waves are the invisible vibrations that affect objects and even space to create light, color and more. The electromagnetic energy created from the burning gasses is what makes light.

But there's much more to be learned about light. In fact, light has different behaviours depending on the type of object that it hits. It can be reflected, refracted, absorbed or transmitted.

Light has three main properties: it is an electromagnetic wave, it travels in straight lines and it moves very fast. Light travels at the speed of light which is the fastest speed possible in the universe. That is 300.000 km per second!

Watch this video and write the most important ideas in your notebook.

Then make a comment telling me what aspect of light you like most and why.

Enjoy!