What is Light?

In general, light can be described as a wave or a particle. When looking at light as a wave, many different phenomena become apparent, such as spectroscopy, interferometry, and diffraction. When light is described as a particle, different areas of physics are unveiled such as particle collisions, photoelectric effects, and diffraction. This study will focus on how light behaves when described as a wave, specifically what the interference of light waves looks like, and how these waves are used in physics today. Looking at light through a spectrometer, will provide insight into how scientists discover what stars are made of and the compilation of gas and dust clouds in interstellar space. The study will also include the examination of a table top interferometer, a miniature, simplified version of the LIGO experiment which recently made the first direct detection of gravitational waves. Ignite Grant Awar