light ray
Luminous straight line
A light ray is an idealized line representing the path along which light travels.
In physics and optics, light rays are used to model how light reflects, refracts, and casts shadows: The diagram shows light rays bending as they pass through the lens.
Though light actually travels as waves, treating it as rays simplifies analysis of mirrors, lenses, and optical instruments.
- prismLight-splitting optical element
- refractionWave bending between media
- lensLight-focusing curved glass
- reflectionReturned light or thought
- beamStructural support member
interference · wavelength · glow · shaft · sunlight · golden hour · telescope · flash · laser pointer · collimation · shine · streak · window · Huygens' principle · electromagnetic spectrum · rainbow · visible spectrum · fiber optic
- rayssunray, stingray, giant manta
- Electromagnetic Wavesradio waves, microwaves, wavelength, electromagnetic radiation, spectrum
- light beamsbeam, shaft, sunbeam, moonbeam, sunray
- light phenomenarainbow, refraction, diffraction, spectrum, prism
- visual effectsCGI, animation, green screen, bloom, motion capture
- opticslens, lenses, mirror, mirrors, prism
light raylight wave
Oscillating electromagnetic field propagation
electromagnetic wave · wavefront · photon · wave · standing wave
light rayradio wave
Electromagnetic broadcast frequency
gamma ray · X-ray · microwave · cosmic ray
light, ray, lightly, rays, lighting, lighter, lighted, lights, lightness