Wave and Photon Models
Definition
Complementary descriptions of electromagnetic radiation. Wave behaviour explains diffraction, interference and polarisation; photon energy describes quantised absorption and emission. Energy per photon is not total exposure or biological harm. Ionisation requires an appropriate interaction and target; wavelength alone does not describe every radiation effect.
- Context
- Electromagnetic radiation
For example, interference can be described through wave behaviour while the energy of an absorbed photon is related to its frequency.
Related terms
- Fluorescence
- Light emission following absorption of light at a shorter (higher-energy) wavelength. Fluorescein absorbs blue-green excitation light and emits yellow-green light. The emitted...
- Ionisation
- Removal of an electron from a specified atom or molecule. The required energy depends on the target; photon energy alone does not...
- Mid-Infrared (Mid-IR)
- The mid-infrared region is a defined part of the infrared spectrum commonly used to examine molecular-vibration absorption patterns. Its stated boundaries depend...
- Photon
- A photon is a quantum of electromagnetic radiation whose energy is related to frequency by E = hν. Energy per photon is...
- Photon Energy
- Energy carried by one photon. It is not the same as the total energy delivered by a source or the biological effect...
- Planck–Einstein Relation
- E = hν = hc/λ, relating photon energy to frequency and wavelength. Wave descriptions account for interference, diffraction and polarisation, while photon...
- Refractive Index
- A physical property of glass (and other transparent materials) that describes how much light bends when passing through it. Forensic glass comparison...
- UV-a
- UV-A is a conventional ultraviolet band commonly described in the WHO classification as approximately 315–400 nm. Applications depend on the actual illumination,...
- UV-C
- UV-C is a conventional ultraviolet band commonly described in the WHO classification as approximately 100–280 nm. Its interactions depend on wavelength, dose,...
- Wavenumber (Cm⁻¹)
- The number of wavelengths per centimetre, equal to 1/λ when λ is in cm. The working unit of vibrational spectroscopy because it...