....particles... waves... etc... what is light????
Light has a dual nature. Light has been observed to behave as both particle and wave depending on what experiment is conducted.
As long the scientists has to assume that there is an absolute vacuum through which light can propagate then they have no choice but to define light as having also the properties of a particle (called photon). I think it is hard here to show that such an absolute vacuum cannot exist unless we consider that the smallest matters are of the atomic universe. To please your curiosity, in brief, why not the atomic particles are in turn made by a sub-atomic universe too?! People in the near past couldn't imagine for example that our big planet would become just a small ball if all electrons stop their motions. The same, the world will need more time to get the idea that also the atomic particles like an electron has much the same structure as our dear planet (made by a much smaller sub-atomic universe). But I am afraid that the whole story is much more complicated than this very simplified explanation. But meanwhile and till this happens in the unseen future, let us please our teachers minds by telling them that light could propagate as an energy wave or photons as well. :)
