Light Is a Form of Energy
Light is energy. Atoms in a source object give off that energy. For example, when electric current flows through an LED bulb, the energy causes electrons on the semiconducting chip to move and emit light. The light then moves away from the source in a straight line, transporting energy through space until it encounters another object.
Watch this video to find out more about how light is energy. As you watch, note any concepts that may be challenging for your students and how the media deals with these.
| 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: Light | Crash Course Astronomy (Excerpt)
Take Notes
- Choose one of the following prompts and develop a claim supported by evidence from the video or other sources:
- How do you know that light is energy?
- How is light produced?
- Explain the relationship of the energy of light to its wavelength.
- For the prompt you chose, which underlying concept about light may be challenging for your students to understand?
