GEARS End-of-Year Practice Exam

Light energy, or radiant energy, is energy carried by electromagnetic waves. It travels through space as waves and, in the visible portion we can see, can be detected by the human eye. This distinguishes it from the energy of motion (kinetic energy) and the stored energy due to position (potential energy), as well as from thermal energy, which comes from the random motion of particles and is felt as heat. Radiant energy can also travel through empty space, not requiring matter to transfer it.