Course Description
This course invites students to explore the fascinating world of light鈥攊ts physical properties and behaviors and how it can be produced, measured and manipulated. The course then applies these concepts to explain how we perceive light in the natural world, including topics such as vision in different species, colour mixing processes, fluorescence, bioluminescence, mirages, rainbows, oil slicks and butterfly wings. Students also learn how light is manipulated for use in technology, such as in microscopes and telescopes, cameras, lasers, and in data transmission. In addition, the course explores the wave-particle duality of light and examines differences between light waves and sound waves to differentiate phenomena like thunder, lightning, shock waves and the implications of superluminal speed. By examining real-world applications of light, students gain a deeper appreciation of how light shapes our perception of the natural world as well as its role in scientific discovery and the evolution of technology.