Hey guys. I have been very curious lately as to how a sprial would be viewed in 3 dimensions. Looking at a spiral top down, we are able to clearly see the spirals over all shape. It moves outward from a given location spreading the arms of the spiral outward (in the shape of a spiral!). Some of you can probably guess where I'm headed with this Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! What if we were to flip a spiral over and look directly on its side? In my mind and online, I can see that spirals viewed side-on take the shape of a wave. Crest, Rest, and Trough are visible. We know that light can travel in both wave form and particle at certain times. But seeing as light does infact have a wave form, does that mean that the travel of light forward through time takes the form of a spiral as well? For example this picture shows light bending matter! Instead of matter bending light! And look how the light bends matter in small spiral like shapes.(turns out I cannot post links. The article was called "Light Bends Matter, Surprising Scientists" on LiveScience) Does this suggest to anyone else other than me, that light travels as waves but also travels as spirals depending on the the angle at which this spiral/wave is being observed? Apologies if this is a simple answer but mathmatics/geometry is more of a hobby for me, I am no expert!
I AM thinking of a helix actually. Regardless though, looking down the center of a helix and you can still see that spiral pattern, more so if the slinky is stretched outward from the center. And from side on, you can again see that same wave pattern. This to me implies that the shape is both wave and and spiral (helix). So if light does travel in waves, does this not also imply to us that light can also move in a spiral like motion through space? The article on LiveScience in the firstpost of mine is interesting in regards to this. Sorry if I seem confused. I find this fascinating and I love to pick brains for information like this!
Well done! Yes, that's correct. The electric and magnetic fields rotate as the wave propogates. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Usually you'll have clockwise and counterclockwise waves mixed together. A circular polarizer can filter out one or the other, which is useful for certain applications like photographic filters and 3D films.
Wow Pete! That picture exactly shows what I was thinking in my head! I felt deep down light must behave this way because of the pattern of light waves, but I had never heard of it before. I was worried I was just thinking nonsense, and it turns out I was nearly dead on accurate! Amazing thanks everyone!
