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tags: #physics #light #waves

Light, when behaving as a wave, can be described by several fundamental properties that are interconnected.

• Speed (c): In a vacuum, the speed of light is a universal constant, approximately 299,792,458 meters per second. This constancy is a cornerstone of Einstein's theory of Special Relativity.
• Wavelength (λ): This is the spatial period of the wave—the distance over which the wave's shape repeats. It determines the color of visible light.
• Frequency (f): This is the number of wave crests that pass a point per unit of time.

These three properties are related by a simple and fundamental equation:
[ c = \lambda f ]
Speed = Wavelength × Frequency

This relationship means that for a wave traveling at a constant speed, a longer wavelength corresponds to a lower frequency, and a shorter wavelength corresponds to a higher frequency. This is the foundational principle behind the entire electromagnetic spectrum.

Reference

Coursera, "Question Reality: Matter"