Exam-style question
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How does the wave theory of light differ from the corpuscular theory?.
- A.Wave theory suggests light travels in straight lines.
- B.Wave theory explains interference and diffraction.
- C.Wave theory states light has mass.
- D.Wave theory ignores the particle nature of light.
Model answer
What a good answer should say
- Wave theory explains interference and diffraction.
Explanation
Why this works
The wave theory of light describes light as a wave that can exhibit behaviors such as interference and diffraction, which cannot be explained by the corpuscular theory. The key difference is that wave theory accounts for phenomena that involve superposition of waves, while corpuscular theory is limited to particle-like behavior.
Wave theory applies in contexts where light behaves as a wave, such as in Young's double-slit experiment.
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