Light is electromagnetic radiation that can be detected by the human eye. Electromagnetic radiation occurs over an extremely wide range of wavelengths, from gamma rays with wavelengths less than about 1 × 10 −11 metres to radio waves measured in metres.

Every form of light—seen and unseen—has something in common: it travels in waves, and it carries energy. What distinguishes one type from another is its wavelength and frequency.

Light in physics, its properties, colours, and behaviour, including reflection, refraction, and optics explained clearly.

Light is a part of our everyday experience and we cannot live without it, but what exactly is light and how does it work? In this video, we’ll discover what light is and see what forms it takes as it interacts with the world around us.

But what exactly is light? We catch glimpses of its nature when a sunbeam angles through a dust-filled room, when a rainbow appears after a storm or when a drinking straw in a glass of water looks disjointed.

The study of light and its interaction with matter is termed optics. The observation and study of optical phenomena such as rainbows and the aurora borealis offer many clues about the nature of light as well as much enjoyment.

Light is just one form of electromagnetic radiation, or electromagnetic waves. These waves are all around us and come in many sizes. The largest electromagnetic waves, with wavelengths from a few centimeters to over 100 meters are called radio waves.