ipl-logo

Light Particle Theory Vs Light Wave Theory Of Knowledge

792 Words4 Pages

One makes the claim that knowledge is used everyday for it to be applied to the world. I will discuss this through the areas of knowledge mathematics and history, with relation to the light-particle theory vs. light-wave theory debate as my real life situation. Firstly, it is important to determine what value knowledge has with application. The value of knowledge can be defined as its ability to be shared. The use of personal knowledge, whether it be abolition or implementation, influences the creation of shared knowledge. Therefore, the value of knowledge is not only established as its application, but the lack thereof (Serpa, Gabriela). Knowledge, juxtaposed to fact, does not need to be the truth. In the 17th century, everyone knew that …show more content…

Maths needs experimental proof, whereas history needs resources and written evidence. Had Huygens and Grimaldi, or any of the scientists that proved the wave-light theory to be true, not written down their findings or provided any evidence for the theory that could be interpreted after a long period of time, the particle-light theory might still be true. We have knowledge of the experiments happening in history because Huygens published a book called ‘Traité de la lumière’ (‘Treatise of light’), in which he described his findings of the wave theory. We have knowledge that this is an event in history because of this book. His use of memory and language as ways of knowing assisted him in writing historical …show more content…

The equations we use every day are a part of mathematics, but they are not knowledge. They are simply tools we use to express our knowledge. For example, the Pythagorean theorem for right angle triangles has always been true, but we simply did not discover the case until Pythagoras legitimized the theory by creating the equation (Mastin, Luke). This brings light to how equations are the tools of knowledge in mathematics. Many believe that equations are knowledge in themselves, but they are merely tools to help us understand knowledge in maths, and to help us apply it. It is much simpler to describe, for instance, the Pythagorean theorem using c2 = a2 + b2, rather than explain it through

Open Document