Interaction of Light and Matter
Let’s explore how light interacts with matter in greater detail.
Watch this video, from 2:19 to the end. It demonstrates light being used to detect important details hidden inside the layers of paintings and to clean surfaces of ancient objects—all without damaging the works of art.
After watching, answer the questions in Take Notes below.
| Keyboard Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Space | Pause/Play video playback |
| Enter | Pause/Play video playback |
| m | Mute/Unmute video volume |
| Up and Down arrows | Increase and decrease volume by 10% |
| Right and Left arrows | Seek forward or backward by 5 seconds |
| 0-9 | Fast seek to x% of the video. |
| f | Enter or exit fullscreen. (Note: To exit fullscreen in flash press the Esc key. |
| c | Press c to toggle captions on or off |
Video: Art Under a New Wavelength
Take Notes
- Use evidence from the video to describe how reflection off the grains and surfaces in paint layers can help identify pigment materials or artistic techniques.
- Develop an argument about how light can penetrate below the surface of a painting.
