What is the experimental evidence that light is an electromagnetic wave?

Audrey Arnold

Audrey Arnold

Answered question

2022-11-19

What is the experimental evidence that light is an electromagnetic wave?

Answer & Explanation

jennasyliang4tr

jennasyliang4tr

Beginner2022-11-20Added 15 answers

How about the fact that you can get Thomson scattering of light from free electrons that is independent of the wave frequency. The electrons must be accelerated which implicates electromagnetic fields. This would be confirmed by experiments to detect Thomson scattering from protons which would show scattered power that is less by a factor of ( m e / m p ) 2 as expected from the Lorentz force.
I have to admit I am not familiar with any published studies but it sounds easy enough, so should have been done.
Also the dependence of "skin depth" and the transmissivity of thin metal foils being dependent on electrical conductivity seems to implicate electromagnetic fields fairly directly. So too does the absorption of radio-waves or microwaves resulting in an alternating EMF in a conductor.
The wave nature of light is evident from any experiment involving diffraction or interference.

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