Electromagnetic radiation (often abbreviated E-M radiation or EMR) is a phenomen

on that takes the form of self-propagating waves in a vacuum or in matter. It co

mprises electric and magnetic field components, which oscillate in phase perpend
icular to each other and perpendicular to the direction of energy propagation. E
M radiation includes broad range of different kinds of radiation from a variety
of sources. These radiations travel through vacuum with the same speed (speed of
light). EM radiation carries energy and momentum that may be imparted to matter
with which it interacts. The behavior of EM radiation depends on its wavelength
. Higher frequencies have shorter wavelengths, and lower frequencies have longer
wavelengths
Light, Infrared rays, Microwave, Radio waves, Ultraviolet rays, x-rays etc

Visible Light
Light is electromagnetic radiation of wavelength that is visible to the human ey
e (the sensitivities of individual observers may vary). But the normal /typical
wavelength range is (about 400 nm to about 750 nm) corresponding to frequencies
from 7x 1014 Hz to 4x1014 Hz.
Sources of visible light depend on the motion of electrons. Electrons in atoms c
an be raised from their lowest energy state to higher energy states by various m
eans such as heating the substance or by passing electric current through it. Wh
en the electrons eventually drop back to their lowest levels, the atoms emit rad
iation that may be in the visible region of the spectrum. Emission of visible li
ght occurs normally when the outer (valence) electrons are making transitions to
lower states.

The most familiar source of visible light is SUN. Its surface emits radiation ac
ross the entire electromagnetic spectrum, but its most intense radiation lies in
visible region.
All electromagnetic waves travel through empty space with the same speed. We cal
l this speed as the speed of light even though it applies to all em radiation not
only light. This speed is one of the fundamental constants of nature.
C= 3x108 m/s
The speed at which light propagates through transparent materials, such as glass
or air, is less than c. The ratio between c and the speed v at which light trav
els in a material is called the refractive index n of the material (n = c
/ v).
? H.W: Find the colour range of visible spectrum and their corresponding w
avelength and frequencies?

Reflection and refraction

Although a light wave spreads as it moves away from its source, we can often app
roximate its travel as being in a straight line.
The photograph in Fig. 39-l0 a shows an example of light waves traveling in appr
oximately straight lines. A narrow beam of light (the incident beam), angled dow
nward from the left and traveling through air, encounters a plane (flat) glass s
urface. Part of the light is reflected by the surface, forming a beam directed u
pward toward the right, traveling as if the original beam had bounced from the s
urface.
The rest of the light travels through the surface and into the glass, forming a
beam directed downward to the right. Because light can travel through it, the gl
ass is said to be transparent; that is, we can see through it.
The travel of light through a surface (or interface) that separates two media is
called refraction, and the light is said to be refracted. Unless an incident be
am of light is perpendicular to the surface, refraction changes the light's dire
ction of travel. For this reason, the beam is said to be "bent" by the refractio
n" Note in Fig. 39-I0a that the bending occurs only at the surface; but within t
he glass, the light travels in a straight line.
In Figure 39-10b, the beams of light in the photograph are represented with an i
ncident ray, a reflected ray, and a refracted ray (and wave fronts). Each ray is
oriented with respect to a line, called the normal that is perpendicular to the
surface at the point of reflection and refraction. In Fig. 39-I0b, the angle of
incidence is ?1, the angle of reflection is ? 1, and the angle of refraction is ?
2, aIl angles are measured relative to the normal. The plane containing the inci
dent ray and the normal is the plane of incidence, which is in the plane of the
page in Fig. 39-I0b.

In general these two effects can occur whenever a beam of light travels from one
medium (air for instance) to another medium (glass). Part of the beam may be re
flected back into the first medium and part of the beam may be transmitted into
the second medium.
Experiment shows that reflection and refraction are governed by two laws:
Law of reflection: A reflected ray lies in the plane of incidence and has an
angle of reflection equal to the angle of incidence.
?1= ? 1 (reflection)
Law of refraction: A refracted ray lies in the plane of incidence and has an ang
le of refraction ?2 that is related to the angle of incidence ?1
n1 sin ?1 = n2 sin ?2 (refraction)
This equation is called Snell s Law
here n1 and n2 are directionless(also dimensionless) constants called the index
of refraction of medium 1 and medium 2. The index of refraction of a medium is t
he ratio between the speed of light c in vacuum to the speed of light v in that
medium.
n = c/v