Light Physics

This undergraduate textbook aids readers in studying music and color, which involve nearly the entire gamut of the fundamental laws of classical as well as atomic physics. The objective bases for these two subjects are, respectively, sound and light. Their corresponding underlying physical principles overlap greatly: Both music and color are manifestations of wave phenomena. As a result, commonalities exist as to the production, transmission, and detection of sound and light.

The controversy between the wave theory and the emission theory of light early in the nineteenth century has been a subject of numerous studies. Yet many is­ sues remain unclear, in particular, the reasons for rejecting Young's theory of light. It appears that further progress in the field requires a better grasp of the overall situation in optics and related subjects at the time and a more thorough study of every factor suggested to be of importance for the dispute.

What is the nature of light? How does an artist’s selection and use of colorants determine how we experience a work of art? What can visual illusions tell us about the nature of perception? In what ways do the laws of optics manifest themselves in the visual arts?