What is Light?
Light is the name for a range of electromagnetic radiation that can be detected by the human eye.
What is Electromagnetism?
Electromagnetism is energy carried by electric and magnetic waves.
What is the measurable radiation of wavelengths visible to the human eye?
About 390-750nm (nanometres)
Explain why Euclid was known as the Father of Geometry.
Euclid was known as the father of geometry for his work in the mathematical field - he theorised that light travels in straight lines and described the laws of reflection, studying them mathematically.
He wrote "The Elements" (divided into 13 books) and he organised the known geometrical ideas, presenting them in a single and logically coherent framework, making them easy to use.
Briefly explain Empedocles Philosophy.
Empedocles philosophy of light was that we see objects because light comes out of our eyes and touches them.
Why is Ibn Al Hasan considered to be one of the most distinguished and prolific mathematicians of the medieval era and what were his theories of light/colour and vision?
Al Hasan studied refraction and the symmetry of reflection, and also theorised that light rays travelled through space in straight lines and entered our eye by bouncing off objects.
He also made significant contributions to not only the principles of optics, but also anatomy, astronomy, engineering, mathematics, medicines, philosophy, physics, psychology and visual perception.
Explain Isaac Newtons experiment.
Isaac Newton experimented with light and prisms. He proved that white light was made up of colours mixed together, by separating the colours with the use of a prism - each colour could be characterised by a unique refractivity.
This was done by putting a screen in the way of the colour spectrum, with a small slit cut into the screen. He positioned the prism so only green light would shine through, then put a second prism in the way of the green light - theorising that if the prism was colouring the light, the green would come out a different colour.
