Light waves are

Light waves are fundamentally classified as electromagnetic waves [2]. Unlike mechanical waves, such as sound or water waves, which require a physical medium to propagate through compression and rarefaction, light waves do not require matter and can travel through a vacuum [2]. Light consists of oscillating electric and magnetic fields that are coupled at right angles to each other and to the direction of wave travel [4]. This electromagnetic nature was famously identified by James Clerk Maxwell in the 1860s. The electromagnetic spectrum encompasses a broad range of radiation, including radio waves, microwaves, infrared, and ultraviolet, with visible light representing only a small portion of this spectrum. While light also exhibits particle-like properties through photons in quantum theory, its wave behavior is characterized as a transverse electromagnetic wave [2].

Sources

1. [2] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 21: Horizontal Distribution of Temperature > Insolation > p. 282
2. [4] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 9: Light – Reflection and Refraction > p. 134
3. [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 5: Earths Magnetic Field (Geomagnetic Field) > Why Do Sound Waves Travel Faster In A Denser Medium Whereas Light Travels Slower? > p. 64