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Light scattering from many common surfaces can be modelled by reflectance. Light scattering depends on the wavelength of the light being scattered. Thus, limits to spatial scales of visibility arise, depending on the frequency of the incident lightwave and the physical dimension (or spatial scale) of the scattering center, which is typically in ...
Crest and trough in a wave. A Crest point on a wave is the highest point of the wave. A crest is a point on a surface wave where the displacement of the medium is at a maximum. A trough is the opposite of a crest, so the minimum or lowest point of the wave.
Peak-to-peak amplitude (abbreviated p–p or PtP or PtoP) is the change between peak (highest amplitude value) and trough (lowest amplitude value, which can be negative). With appropriate circuitry, peak-to-peak amplitudes of electric oscillations can be measured by meters or by viewing the waveform on an oscilloscope .
Several measures of light are commonly known as intensity: Radiant intensity , a radiometric quantity measured in watts per steradian (W/sr) Luminous intensity , a photometric quantity measured in lumens per steradian (lm/sr), or candela (cd)
Intensity is used most frequently with waves such as acoustic waves , matter waves such as electrons in electron microscopes, and electromagnetic waves such as light or radio waves, in which case the average power transfer over one period of the wave is used. Intensity can be applied to other circumstances where energy is transferred.
Alternatively, if the two waves of the same wavelength and frequency are out of phase, then the wave crests will align with wave troughs and vice versa. This results in destructive interference and a decrease in the amplitude of the wave, which for light is associated with a dimming of the waveform at that location. See below for an ...
The relativistic Doppler effect is the change in frequency, wavelength and amplitude [1] of light, caused by the relative motion of the source and the observer (as in the classical Doppler effect, first proposed by Christian Doppler in 1842 [2]), when taking into account effects described by the special theory of relativity.
The difference between the maximum and minimum brightnesses (the amplitude of the light curve) can be due to the shape of the object, or to bright and dark areas on its surface. For example, an asymmetrical asteroid's light curve generally has more pronounced peaks, while a more spherical object's light curve will be flatter. [6]