Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Light as Energy01:35

Light as Energy

98.2K
The energy required to carry out photosynthesis is light— typically electromagnetic radiation from the sun. The range of all possible wavelengths is known as the electromagnetic spectrum.
Photons
A photon is a discrete electromagnetic particle or bundle of energy. Photons are characterized by their frequency, wavelength, and amplitude, similar to the properties of a wave. Waves with higher frequencies transmit more energy and have shorter wavelengths than longer wavelengths that transmit...
98.2K
The Wave Nature of Light02:12

The Wave Nature of Light

63.2K
The nature of light has been a subject of inquiry since antiquity. In the seventeenth century, Isaac Newton performed experiments with lenses and prisms and was able to demonstrate that white light consists of the individual colors of the rainbow combined together. Newton explained his optics findings in terms of a "corpuscular" view of light, in which light was composed of streams of extremely tiny particles traveling at high speeds according to Newton's laws of motion.
63.2K
Photoreceptors and Plant Responses to Light02:00

Photoreceptors and Plant Responses to Light

28.9K
Light plays a significant role in regulating the growth and development of plants. In addition to providing energy for photosynthesis, light provides other important cues to regulate a range of developmental and physiological responses in plants.
28.9K
Photoelectric Effect02:26

Photoelectric Effect

40.9K
When light of a particular wavelength strikes a metal surface, electrons are emitted. This is called the photoelectric effect. The minimum frequency of light that can cause such emission of electrons is called the threshold frequency, which is specific to the metal. Light with a frequency lower than the threshold frequency, even if it is of high intensity, cannot initiate the emission of electrons. However, when the frequency is higher than the threshold value, the number of electrons ejected...
40.9K
Light Acquisition02:16

Light Acquisition

9.8K
In order to produce glucose, plants need to capture sufficient light energy. Many modern plants have evolved leaves specialized for light acquisition. Leaves can be only millimeters in width or tens of meters wide, depending on the environment. Due to competition for sunlight, evolution has driven the evolution of increasingly larger leaves and taller plants, to avoid shading by their neighbors with contaminant elaboration of root architecture and mechanisms to transport water and nutrients.
9.8K
Models, Theories, and Laws01:16

Models, Theories, and Laws

9.6K
Scientists frequently use models to help them comprehend a specific collection of phenomena. In physics, a model is a condensed version of a physical system that is too complex to study thoroughly. One such example is the light wave model; unlike water waves, light waves are typically invisible to us. Nonetheless, it is helpful to think of light as being composed of waves, since investigations show that light behaves like water waves. Since it is impossible to visually see what is genuinely...
9.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Structure and Stability of Phospholipid-Based Microbubbles Studied Using a Spin Probe.

Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids·2025
Same author

Photochemical [2+4]-Dimerization Reaction from the Excited State.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2023
Same author

Exploiting chemistry and molecular systems for quantum information science.

Nature reviews. Chemistry·2023
Same author

Modulating Photochemical Properties to Enhance the Stability of Electronically Dimmable Eye Protection Devices<sup>†</sup>.

Photochemistry and photobiology·2023
Same author

Spinning Molecules, Spinning Spins: Modulation of an Electron Spin Exchange Interaction in a Highly Anisotropic Hyperfine Field.

ACS omega·2021
Same author

Synthesis and crystal structure of <i>catena</i>-poly[[tetra-μ-acetato-copper(II)]-μ-6-eth-oxy-<i>N</i> <sup>2</sup>,<i>N</i> <sup>4</sup>-bis-[2-(pyridin-2-yl)eth-yl]-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-di-amine].

Acta crystallographica. Section E, Crystallographic communications·2021

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 21, 2026

Major Components of the Light Microscope
08:08

Major Components of the Light Microscope

Published on: July 30, 2008

25.7K

What We Talk About When We Talk About Light.

Malcolm D E Forbes1

  • 1Center for Photochemical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Bowling Green State University , Bowling Green, Ohio 43403, United States.

ACS Central Science
|May 11, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This Outlook explores the history of light and its applications, from the Big Bang to modern technologies. It highlights light

More Related Videos

Light-Induced In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy for Observation of the Liquid-Soft Matter Interaction
05:33

Light-Induced In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy for Observation of the Liquid-Soft Matter Interaction

Published on: July 26, 2022

2.7K
Free-form Light Actuators &#8212; Fabrication and Control of Actuation in Microscopic Scale
08:17

Free-form Light Actuators — Fabrication and Control of Actuation in Microscopic Scale

Published on: May 25, 2016

9.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 21, 2026

Major Components of the Light Microscope
08:08

Major Components of the Light Microscope

Published on: July 30, 2008

25.7K
Light-Induced In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy for Observation of the Liquid-Soft Matter Interaction
05:33

Light-Induced In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy for Observation of the Liquid-Soft Matter Interaction

Published on: July 26, 2022

2.7K
Free-form Light Actuators &#8212; Fabrication and Control of Actuation in Microscopic Scale
08:17

Free-form Light Actuators — Fabrication and Control of Actuation in Microscopic Scale

Published on: May 25, 2016

9.7K

Area of Science:

  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Biology
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Agriculture
  • Materials Science
  • Biomedicine

Background:

  • UNESCO declared 2015 the International Year of Light and Light-Based Technologies.
  • Light's impact spans from the Big Bang to all life on Earth.
  • Significant advances have been made in artificial light generation and utilization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a general history of light and its applications.
  • To emphasize fundamental advances in artificial and natural light technologies.
  • To discuss future research challenges and potential applications of light-based technologies.

Main Methods:

  • Historical review of light and its applications.
  • Analysis of light's role across various scientific disciplines.
  • Discussion of emerging fields and future research directions.

Main Results:

  • Light's fundamental role in physics, chemistry, and biology is well-established.
  • Light-based technologies have expanded into environmental engineering, agriculture, materials science, and biomedicine.
  • The past century has seen transformative progress in understanding and utilizing light.

Conclusions:

  • Light is a central science with profound and expanding applications.
  • Future research holds significant potential for novel light-based technologies.
  • Continued exploration of light's properties will drive innovation across disciplines.