2. What is Light? SNC2D Light and Geometric Optics

3. Some Trivia Sunlight takes 8.3 minutes to reach the Earth Light travels in straight lines (unless it travels close to a black hole) The speed of light is the speed limit of the universe…3.0x10 8 m/s or 1.08x10 9 km/h At this speed it can go around the world 8 times in one second.

4. Electromagnetic Spectrum Light travels as radiation through the vacuum of space. It’s a form of ENERGY! Light travels as an electromagnetic wave. o Meaning that light has both electric and magnetic properties Visible light is part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

5. White light is composed of all the colours of the rainbow. ROYGBV o red-orange-yellow-green-blue-indigo-violet A glass prism is capable of separating the colours because each colour travels through the prism at a slightly different speed. Visible Light and the Spectrum This is how rainbows are formed: sunlight is “split up” by raindrops.

7. Using the Electromagnetic Spectrum The use of the electromagnetic spectrum allows us to get a better understanding of the universe.

8. Activity: Viewing the Visible Spectrum O Bill Nye – Light & Colour

11. Credits http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lightspectrum.jpg http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:EM_Spectrum_Properties_edit.svg http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dispersive_Prism_Illustration.jpg http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dispersion_prism.jpg http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Light_dispersion_conceptual.gif http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ssc2005-02a.jpg