by Daniel Travo

This WebQuest introduces the concepts associated with the interaction of light and matter. Students will explore how these interactions change in different regions of the EM spectrum as well as other factors they depend on. Finally the use of these ideas in emerging biosensors is introduced to show the student exciting applications of physics in the medical field.

Introduction

Light is a fascinating area of physics that literally lets us see the world around us. For as much as we know, however, there are still a lot of unanswered questions. What's actually happening when light hits a molecule? With the help of stronger computers and new technologies we are getting a better idea and can now predict what happens when light hits particles smaller than itself!!

This is being used to develop new diagnostic tools to detect toxic chemicals and diseases!

Today we are going to learn about the basics of light used by these tools.