Electromagnetic waves consist of both electric and magnetic field waves. These waves oscillate in perpendicular planes with respect to each other, and are in phase. The creation of all electromagnetic waves begins with an oscillating charged particle, which creates oscillating electric and magnetic fields.

Sources of Electromagnetic Radiation. Static magnetic fields are created by magnets or by the flow of DC electricity. They can be produced by many natural sources also.

Electromagnetic waves are generated by moving electrons. In turn, the moving electron generates a magnetic field that will also become wavy from the motion of the electron. These combined electrical and magnetic waves reinforce one another. This kind of wave is called an electromagnetic wave and light is such a wave.

In the 1860’s and 1870’s, a Scottish scientist named James Clerk Maxwell developed a scientific theory to explain electromagnetic waves. He noticed that electrical fields and magnetic fields can couple together to form electromagnetic waves.

As velocity of light is perpendicular to the wavefront and light is travelling in vacuum along the y− axis, therefore, the wavefront is represented by y= constant.

Photons do not travel in straight lines. Quantum particles do not have trajectories as classical particles do. Photons do not propagate in all directions as a spherical wave does.

Light travels in straight lines Once light has been produced, it will keep travelling in a straight line until it hits something else. Shadows are evidence of light travelling in straight lines. An object blocks light so that it can’t reach the surface where we see the shadow.

Light travels as waves. Light waves travel in straight lines. You can detect them with your eyes, and also with instruments such as cameras. They are reflected by mirrors and change direction when they travel from the air into glass or water.

Bouncing back of light when it is incident on rough or smooth surface (like wall, mirror, ground etc.) is called reflection of light.

Light bends as it moves from less dense to more dense water. If the water temperature is consistent throughout and not deep enough for gravity to significantly affect it’s density, then light in water, should travel in a straight line.

Light is electromagnetic wave,so light wave travels out from their source in straight lines (called ray), do not curve around corners of any objects, so when they hit an object, they are bend from there and again travel in straight line.

Dispersion of light occurs when white light is separated into its different constituent colors because of refraction and Snell’s law. White light enters a prism on the left, then is separated according to wavelength into a rainbow pattern.

Scattering and dispersion of light are responsible for many natural phenomena taking place around us. If they do not occur then very common things won’t be visible to us. The sky appears blue because of scattering of light and in its absence, it would appear colorless.

The dispersion of light by glass prisms is used to construct spectrometers and spectroradiometers. Holographic gratings are also used, as they allow more accurate discrimination of wavelengths.

Light is the main source of energy for all living organisms. During this process, some of the sugars plants produce get stored in fruits and vegetables, so basically we eat converted and stored light. Since we cannot live without food and oxygen, the impact of photosynthesis on our daily life is crucial.

Upon passage through the prism, the white light is separated into its component colors – red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet. The separation of visible light into its different colors is known as dispersion. When a light wave impinges upon an atom of the material, it is absorbed by that atom.