Wave Optics: Introduction and Historical Background

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Questions and Answers

What was the primary reason why the wave theory of light was not readily accepted?

  • Newton's authority and the belief that light could only travel through a medium (correct)
  • Maxwell's electromagnetic theory of light
  • The interference and diffraction of lightwaves
  • The wavelength of visible light

What was firmly established by Thomas Young's interference experiment in 1801?

  • Light can travel through vacuum
  • The wavelength of visible light is extremely small
  • Light has changing electric and magnetic fields
  • Light is indeed a wave phenomenon (correct)

What is the field of optics in which the finiteness of wavelength is completely neglected called?

  • Geometrical optics (correct)
  • Electromagnetic optics
  • Quantum optics
  • Wave optics

Who put forward the famous electromagnetic theory of light, explaining how light waves can propagate through vacuum?

<p>Maxwell (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to Maxwell, what produces the propagation of electromagnetic waves (or light waves) even in vacuum?

<p>Changing electric and magnetic fields (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to the wave theory of light, what does it predict when light bends towards the normal on refraction?

<p>The speed of light would be less in the second medium (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who initially put forward the wave theory of light?

<p>Christiaan Huygens (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What did Descartes' corpuscular model predict about the speed of light in the second medium on refraction?

<p>Greater speed of light in the second medium (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who is often attributed to the corpuscular model of light due to the popularity of his book 'OPTICKS'?

<p>Isaac Newton (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which experiment, carried out by Foucault in 1850, confirmed the prediction made by the wave model of light?

<p>Speed of light in water is less than in air (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who put forward the wave theory of light?

<p>Christiaan Huygens</p> Signup and view all the answers

What did Descartes' corpuscular model predict about the speed of light in the second medium on refraction?

<p>If the ray of light bends towards the normal on refraction, then the speed of light would be greater in the second medium.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What experiment, carried out by Foucault in 1850, confirmed the prediction made by the wave model of light?

<p>The experiment showing the speed of light in water is less than the speed in air.</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to the wave theory of light, what does it predict when light bends towards the normal on refraction?

<p>The speed of light would be less in the second medium.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who is often attributed to the corpuscular model of light due to the popularity of his book 'OPTICKS'?

<p>Isaac Newton</p> Signup and view all the answers

What experiment, performed by Thomas Young in 1801, firmly established that light is a wave phenomenon?

<p>Interference experiment</p> Signup and view all the answers

What branch of optics completely neglects the finiteness of the wavelength?

<p>Geometrical optics</p> Signup and view all the answers

Who put forward the famous electromagnetic theory of light, explaining how light waves can propagate through vacuum?

<p>Maxwell</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the wave theory of light predict when light bends towards the normal on refraction?

<p>Decrease in speed</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary reason why the wave theory of light was not readily accepted?

<p>Belief that a wave required a medium for its propagation</p> Signup and view all the answers

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