Light as Waves and Particles
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Objective
I can describe the evidence supporting the wave-particle duality of light.
Part 1 of 4
Warm-up video
Professor Dave Explains · 3:56Vetted channel
We don't generate video — this one is by Professor Dave Explains on YouTube. The practice questions and exit ticket below were drafted by AI for this objective, and every question is editable in the teacher guide.
Part 2 of 4
Key concepts
3 concepts
- 1
Light exhibits wave-particle duality, behaving as both an electromagnetic wave and a stream of particles called photons.
- 2
The photoelectric effect demonstrates that electrons are ejected from a metal when struck by a photon with sufficient energy, dependent on the light's frequency rather than its intensity.
- 3
Einstein explained the photoelectric effect by proposing that light is made of quanta called photons, each with an energy (E) equal to Planck's constant (h) times its frequency (ν), represented by the equation E = hν.
Part 3 of 4
Practice
11 questions
What is the relationship between the wavelength and frequency of light?
What is the speed of light in meters per second?
Part 4 of 4
Exit ticket
Quick comprehension check
“Describe the evidence from the photoelectric effect that supports the particle nature of light.”
Sample answer included in the free materials
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