*Electromagnetic waves* are all around us. They transmit information as WiFi or cell phone signals, warm up your food in a microwave oven or illuminate your screen as visible light. As the name suggests, an electro-magnetic wave consists of an [[Electric Field|electric field]] (in blue) and a [[Magnetic Field|magnetic field]] (in red). Both are oscillating perpendicular to the direction of propagation: ![[light.excalidraw.light.svg]] The description of light (or electromagnetic radiation in general) in terms of waves is only a partial description. Since the rise of [[Quantum Mechanics|quantum mechanics]], we understand that light is neither a [[Wave|wave]], nor a particle (see [[Wave-Particle Duality|wave-particle duality]]). However, for many effects that we see in our everyday life, like [[Diffraction|diffraction]] or spectral decomposition at a prism, the wave-description of light is very handy. >[!read]- Further Reading >- [[Electromagnetism]] >- [[Electron]] >- [[Classical Physics]] >- [[Wave]] >[!ref]- References