However, this wave theory, developed in the mid-19th century, is not sufficient to explain the properties of light at very low intensities. In most everyday circumstances, the properties of light can be derived from the theory of classical electromagnetism, in which light is described as coupled electric and magnetic fields propagating through space as a traveling wave. Technological applications based on the manipulations of light include lasers, holography, and fibre-optic telecommunications systems. This property forms the basis of the fields of optics and optical communications and a myriad of related technologies, both mature and emerging. Light transmits spatial and temporal information. Atomic and molecular spectroscopies continue to be primary tools for probing the structure of matter, providing ultrasensitive tests of atomic and molecular models and contributing to studies of fundamental photochemical reactions. The analysis of the frequencies of light emitted and absorbed by atoms was a principal impetus for the development of quantum mechanics. Just as the invention of the telescope dramatically broadened exploration of the universe, so too the invention of the microscope opened the intricate world of the cell. By interpreting that radiation, astronomers can glimpse the earliest epochs of the universe, measure the general expansion of the universe, and determine the chemical composition of stars and the interstellar medium. Almost all of the information about the rest of the universe reaches Earth in the form of electromagnetic radiation. Indeed, light provides a window on the universe, from cosmological to atomic scales. On the grandest scale, light’s interactions with matter have helped shape the structure of the universe. Light from the Sun warms the Earth, drives global weather patterns, and initiates the life-sustaining process of photosynthesis. Through the sense of sight, light is a primary tool for perceiving the world and communicating within it. The physicist is interested in the physical properties of light, the artist in an aesthetic appreciation of the visual world. No single answer to the question “What is light?” satisfies the many contexts in which light is experienced, explored, and exploited. SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!.Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.Britannica Beyond We’ve created a new place where questions are at the center of learning.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians. Small black light how to#
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