ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the physical properties of light, its makeup, and how it moves through space. Light is controlled in ways that require at least some understanding of optics and electricity—topics that easily intimidate many people. Specifically, light is a form of radiant energy that is associated with a given portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. As lighting designers, the concern is a very limited range of wavelengths contained within the electromagnetic spectrum that the lighting designers commonly refer to as the visible spectrum. The most easily described quality of light is intensity, which refers to the brightness of the light. Light will have an associated color that is determined through the specific collection of wavelengths present within its makeup. Another common function of lighting is in modeling or sculpting. Some designers refer to this as "revelation of form." This function relates to using light for enhancing the three-dimensional qualities of an object.
