OUTCOME
By the end of this lesson you will understand physics understanding of light as a wave at the end of the 19th century seemed complete. You will be able to apply the equations for the energy and momentum of light developed from Maxwell's wave model of light. You will also apply Max Planck's relationship for energy of light related to its frequency which seemed to contradict the wave model as it relied on light being in packets or quanta
Light as a wave was established by James Maxwells wave model for light in the 19th century.
Rayleigh-Jeans developed a law that predicted how a blackbody would radiate light, but it had a problem, the ultraviolet catastrophe. It wasn’t until Max Planck suggested that light came in packets or quanta that the field of quantum mechanics emerged and unintentionally solved this problem .
LEARNING TASKS
Explain
Review your understanding of electrons in an electric field
Explore and Elaborate
Evaluate
Exercise 11.2