This book is a science text about light for the general reader; it is also an adventure story and a detective story revealing how the secrets of light were uncovered. Readers can share in the thrill of each discovery and learn about some of the myriad applications opened up by these fascinating discoveries, including the telescope, fiber optics, the laser, and even the recent optical detection of gravitational waves from space.With Professor Fortson, distinguished experimental physicist, as your tour guide, follow the journey from the 17th century — when Descartes first calculated the size of the rainbow — to the 20th century, when the quantum theory of light was born. Learn how Huygens, Newton, Planck, Einstein and many other great scientists solved one mystery after another, from the reason underlying the law of refraction to the puzzle of the photoelectric effect. The journey ends with the solution to the most challenging mystery of all: that light is both a wave and a particle — a fascinating finale.

Ever look at the sky and wonder what makes it so blue? Or watch shadows shrink and grow as the day goes on? Find out the answers to these questions (plus 38 more!) with a book that explores color and light. Shine a Light on Light Itself! From mesmerizing colored shadows to groovy glow-stick dissections, from totally cool laser play to DIY kaleidoscopic reflections, Exploring the Science of Light is a kid-friendly, hands-on discovery guide for investigating light, color, and optics. Brought to you by the world’s most beloved and fun-filled laboratory of all, the Exploratorium in San Francisco.

Light shines through your kitchen window. A campfire brightens the dark woods. You see light all around you. But where does most light come from? And how does it travel? Read this book to find out! Learn all about matter, energy, and forces in the Exploring Physical Science series—part of the Lightning Bolt BooksTM collection. With high-energy designs, exciting photos, and fun text, Lightning Bolt BooksTM bring nonfiction topics to life!

A charming and captivating exploration of the science of light. Where does light come from? How does it work? What is it made of? A girl and her cat find answers to these questions on a summertime journey of scientific discovery. The pair identify loads of examples of light, while exploring many fascinating topics: natural and artificial light; uses of light; opaque, translucent and transparent objects; absorbed, reflected and refracted light; and how the eye sees light. It’s a gentle yet comprehensive introduction to light and all its mysteries. From stars in the sky to fireworks over a lake, our inquisitive guides shine a light on … light!

Young readers will learn how light works and where it comes from in this accessible, photo-filled book. Vibrant photos give life to basic science concepts in the text and encourage kids to explore light in the world around them.

Explore the world of light with engaging text, real life examples and fun step-by-step experiments. This book brings the science of light to life, explaining the concepts then getting kids to be hands-on scientists!

Focusing on the unresolved debate between Newton and Huygens from 300 years ago, The Nature of Light: What is a Photon? discusses the reality behind enigmatic photons. It explores the fundamental issues pertaining to light that still exist today. Gathering contributions from globally recognized specialists in electrodynamics and quantum optics, the book begins by clearly presenting the mainstream view of the nature of light and photons. It then provides a new and challenging scientific epistemology that explains how to overcome the prevailing paradoxes and confusions arising from the accepted definition of a photon as a monochromatic Fourier mode of the vacuum. The book concludes with an array of experiments that demonstrate the innovative thinking needed to examine the wave-particle duality of photons. Looking at photons from both mainstream and out-of-box viewpoints, this volume is sure to inspire the next generation of quantum optics scientists and engineers to go beyond the Copenhagen interpretation and formulate new conceptual ideas about light–matter interactions and substantiate them through inventive applications.