The Wave Theory

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The Wave Theory
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Christian Huygens

• Considered to be the founder of the wave theory
• basic concept still very useful today in
  predicting and interpreting the behavior of light

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• Published his works in 1690
• supported by English scientist Robert Hooke

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• Wave require a medium
• Concluded that light propagated by vibrations of
  an invisible substance ether.

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1. Straight Line Movement

• Huygens couldnt explain this very well
• was a downfall of the wave theory

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2. Reflection

• Explained by using water in a wave tank

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3. Refraction

• The explanation of refraction required the speed
  of light to be slower in water than air.
• Opposite of Newton

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Rejected by Newton

• Couldnt explain straight line movement
• explain refraction backwards

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Interference Diffraction

• Interference of light discovered in 1801
• diffraction of light discovered in 1816
• both easier to explain with wave theory

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• Even with the great following the corpuscular
  theory is abandoned
• The final blow was Foucaults speed discovery in
  1850

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Nineteenth Century

• The wave theory supplied the basic law from which
  came remarkable advances in optical theory and
  technology