Wave Optics: The Physics behind Wave Optics (Learn Physics)

Newton's Corpuscular Theory
(1) Newton thought that light is made up of tiny, light and elastic particles called corpuscles which are emitted by a luminous body.
(2) The corpuscles travel with speed equal to the speed of light in all directions in straight lines.
(3) The corpuscles carry energy with them. When they strike retina of the eye, they produce sensation of vision.
(4) The corpuscles of different colour are of different sizes (red corpuscles larger than blue corpuscles).
(5) The corpuscular theory explains that light carry energy and momentum, light travels in a straight line, Propagation of light in vacuum, Laws of reflection and refraction
(6) The corpuscular theory fails to explain interference, diffraction and polarization.
(7) A major prediction of the corpuscular theory is that the speed of light in a denser medium is more than the speed of light in a rarer medium. The truth is that the speed of the light is smaller in a denser medium. Therefore, the Newton's corpuscular theory is wrong.
Huygen's Wave Theory
(1) Wave theory of light was given by Christian Huygen. According to this, a luminous body is a source of disturbance in a hypothetical medium ether. This medium pervades all space.
(2) It is assumed to be transparent and having zero inertia. The disturbance from the source is propagated in the form of waves through the space.
(3) The waves carry energy and momentum. Huygen assumed that the waves were longitudinal. Further when polarization was discovered, then to explain it, light waves were, assumed to be transverse in nature by Fresnel.
(4) This theory explains successfully, the phenomenon of interference and diffraction apart from other properties of light.
(5) The Huygen's theory fails to explain photo-electric effect, Compton's effect etc.
(6) The wave theory introduces the concept of wavefront.
Wavefront
(1) Suggested by Huygens
(2) The locus of all particles in a medium, vibrating in the same phase is called Wave Front (WF)
(3) The direction of propagation of light (ray of light) is perpendicular to the WF.
(4) Every point on the given wave front acts as a source of new disturbance called secondary wavelets which travel in all directions with the velocity of light in the medium.