Corpuscular theory

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).

According to the Corpuscular theory of light, set forward by Sir Isaac Newton, light is made up of small discrete particles called "corpuscles" (little particles). In its contemporary incarnation, the theory of Photons, this idea explains many properties of light, in particular the photoelectric effect. However, it fails to explain other effects, such as interference and diffraction. It was therefore superseded by the wave theory of light, later understood as part of electromagnetism, and eventually supplanted by modern quantum mechanics.

[edit] See also

 This physics-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../c/o/r/Corpuscular_theory.html"
In other languages