How Plant Pigments Capture Light

Photosynthesis uses light energy from the sun, which is a form of electromagnetic radiation. The full range of possible wavelengths is called the electromagnetic spectrum. Light is made of photons, which are small packets of energy. Photons act like waves and are described by frequency, wavelength, and amplitude.

The energy for photosynthesis is light, typically electromagnetic radiation from the sun. Light behaves as particles—discrete packets of energy called photons and as waves that oscillate along a path.

The wavelength is measured as the distance between corresponding points of two consecutive waves, such as crests. The electromagnetic spect...