Light, the Quantum Concept, and the Photoelectric Effect

You might argue that nothing is taken for granted more than light. You are so accustomed to seeing the world that you may forget how truly amazing the energy known as light is. All vision, whether dull or vibrant, simple or colorful, is due to the generation of light and its movement through space. Before you learn about the properties of light and how the study of light added to scientist's knowledge of the atomic model, think about the following questions:

• Did you ever wonder why fireworks emit such a brilliant array of colorful lights?
• Did you ever wonder why neon creates such amazingly bright lights?
• Why do street lights glow differently than light bulbs?