Why do light travel in a straight line?
Light travels in straight lines primarily due to the fact that light is a wave. However, light can change its path (away from a straight line) when it is incident on certain obstacles. This effect is commonly reffered to as diffraction.
What is it called when light travels in a straight line?
In all of these cases, light is modeled as traveling in straight lines called rays. The word ray comes from mathematics and here means a straight line that originates at some point. It is acceptable to visualize light rays as laser rays (or even science fiction depictions of ray guns).
What travels in a straight line?
Light travels in a straight line can be observed by keeping an object in the path of light. In an atmosphere which is bit dusty, we can see light traveling in a straight line. Light emerging from the torch, train and lamps always travel in a straight line.
How do you show light travels in a straight line?
Two experiments are used to demonstrate how light travels in straight lines. In the first example, the presenter arranges three pieces of card, with holes in, in an uneven line. The light stops and cannot travel through all three cards. When she arranges the holes in a straight line, the light can travel through.
How do you know that light travels in a straight line?
Light travels in straight lines 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 fills up all of the space before it hits the object, but the whole region between the object and the surface is in shadow.
What is bending of light called?
EXPLORE. Refraction is the bending of light (it also happens with sound, water and other waves) as it passes from one transparent substance into another. This bending by refraction makes it possible for us to have lenses, magnifying glasses, prisms and rainbows.