It's impossible to discuss the concept of a black hole without
first delving into the details about light or electromagnetic
radiation. In the absence of light, we get darkness, or blackness,
which is how black gets into the name black hole. Black holes do
not allow light to escape from their interior, so they appear
completely dark.
Our intuition regarding the properties of light can sometimes
be misguided, so let's discuss some of light's fundamental
properties. When a beam of white light is passed through a
prism, the white light that enters is separated into a rainbow
of colors spreading out to the other side of the prism.
Each of the colors in the rainbow corresponds to a property
color wavelength
of light called its wavelength. Wavelength is also related to the d
frequency of light, which is itself related to the energy of a frequency
energy
photon. Another way to think about light is by way of an
analogy to sound.
Sound waves also come in different frequencies which we call the
pitch of a sound. So color is to light as pitch is to sound. For
frequency wavelength energy
instance, I can make sound of a low pitch, la, la, la, la, la, [COUGH]
low or I can make sound of a high pitch, la, la, la, la, la, just as I can
low long make low frequency light, like red, or high frequency light, such as
short high blue.
high
first delving into the details about light or electromagnetic
radiation. In the absence of light, we get darkness, or blackness,
which is how black gets into the name black hole. Black holes do
not allow light to escape from their interior, so they appear
completely dark.
Our intuition regarding the properties of light can sometimes
be misguided, so let's discuss some of light's fundamental
properties. When a beam of white light is passed through a
prism, the white light that enters is separated into a rainbow
of colors spreading out to the other side of the prism.
Each of the colors in the rainbow corresponds to a property
color wavelength
of light called its wavelength. Wavelength is also related to the d
frequency of light, which is itself related to the energy of a frequency
energy
photon. Another way to think about light is by way of an
analogy to sound.
Sound waves also come in different frequencies which we call the
pitch of a sound. So color is to light as pitch is to sound. For
frequency wavelength energy
instance, I can make sound of a low pitch, la, la, la, la, la, [COUGH]
low or I can make sound of a high pitch, la, la, la, la, la, just as I can
low long make low frequency light, like red, or high frequency light, such as
short high blue.
high
