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Light: The key to our well-being and rhythm of life!
On October 24, 2025, Prof. Scharff will give a lecture at the TU Ilmenau about light and its diverse effects on our lives.
Light: The key to our well-being and rhythm of life!
Light is an essential part of our lives and influences many life processes. On Friday, October 24, 2025, Prof. Peter Scharff from the Technical University of Ilmenau will shed more light on the fundamental aspects of light in a lecture. This starts at 3:00 p.m. in the X-ray building of the TU Ilmenau, Weimarer Straße 32. Entry is 5 euros. The lecture is part of the Citizens' Campus of the TU Ilmenau and deals not only with the physical and chemical basis of luminous phenomena, but also with the diverse light-related phenomena that shape our everyday lives.
The importance of light extends widely, from the biological rhythms of plants to the daily actions of humans, which are determined by the alternation between day and night. Professor Scharff will support demonstrating the wave and particle nature of light in experiments. Dr. Dirk Schulz from the Institute of Physics will accompany the lecture and expand on the topics.
Scientific foundations of light
In classical electrodynamics, light is viewed as a high-frequency electromagnetic wave, which is defined by wavelengths between approximately 380 and 780 nanometers. These frequencies are in the range of approximately 790 to 385 THz. The speed of light in a vacuum is approximately 299,792,458 m/s, a value that plays a central role in many optical applications.
An important concept in optics is the duality of light, which states that it exists as both a wave and a particle. This wave-particle duality is a major component of quantum mechanics, which considers the properties of photons as quantum objects. In this context, it is crucial to know that photons have both energy and momentum, which are described by the formulas E = hν and p = h/λ.
- Wellenlängen des sichtbaren Lichts: 380 – 780 nm
- Lichtgeschwindigkeit im Vakuum: c = 299.792.458 m/s
- Klassische Modellierung: elektromagnetische Wellen
Various optical principles are used to analyze the behavior of light, including reflection, refraction and scattering. The change between media of different optical densities describes refraction, while the law of reflection states that the angle of incidence corresponds to the angle of reflection. Dispersion is another phenomenon that occurs when light prisms break down colors into different spectral components.
Importance for nature and people
Light is not only a physical phenomenon, but also plays a crucial role in biological processes. In photosynthesis, plants use light energy to produce organic compounds. Light is also a means of communication for animals and is used for orientation and danger avoidance. Human eyes project light onto the retina, where the specialized photoreceptors rods and cones produce electrical signals that enable our vision.
The consideration of the properties of light ranges from the physical basics to the practical application in our daily lives. Understanding these concepts is important not only for scientists but also for the general audience to better appreciate the importance of this fundamental part of our lives.
Both the TU Ilmenau and the scientific foundations of light, which are through Wikimedia.de and Wiktionary.de documented, contribute to expanding knowledge about this indispensable natural phenomenon.