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B1 M2 - Physics > 2.4 Optics (Light) (Lvl 2) > Flashcards

2.4 Optics (Light) (Lvl 2) Flashcards

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1
Q

What is light usually described as?

A

The electromagnetic radiation which is visible and not visible to the human eye.

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2
Q

What do electromagnetic waves consist of?

A

Magnetic field and electric field.

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3
Q

At what angle are electric and magnetic fields displaced to each other?

A

90 degrees to each other and following a sinusoidal pattern.

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4
Q

What does it mean in the differences of colours that the human eye can see?

A

Differences in frequency or wave length of the electromagnetic waves.

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5
Q

High frequency =?

A

Bluer the light until its ultraviolet and not visible to the eyes.

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6
Q

Lower Frequency =?

A

Redder the light until its infrared and not visible to the eyes.

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7
Q

What are light waves measured in?

A

Nanometres and Angstroms.

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8
Q

What is the range of visible waves lengths to the human eyes?

A

4000 to 7000 Angstroms (400 to 700 nm).

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9
Q

What is the velocity of the speed of light in a vacuum?

A

Approx. 186,000 mph or 300,000,000 m/s.

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10
Q

What is one of the fundamental constants used in physics?

A

The speed of light.

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11
Q

What happens to the passage of light through matter?

A

Reduces its speed.

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12
Q

What do you do to the speed of light if no value is given during a calculation?

A

Assume its in a vacuum and assume 300,000,00m/s (3 x 10^8).

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13
Q

What is the formula for the speed of light?

A

c = λ x f

c = speed of light (m/s)
λ = wavelength (m)
f = Frequency (Hz).
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14
Q

What does reflection mean?

A

It means a wave bounces back when it hits a different medium.

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15
Q

What is the law of reflection? (2 Points)

A

The way that light is reflected.

  1. Angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.
  2. the incident ray, the reflected ray and the normal all lie within the same plane.
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16
Q

What is a real image?

A

An image that can be projected onto a screen or wall. Formed when the light rays from an object are actually there and pass through another point in space.

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17
Q

What is a virtual image?

A

It can only been seen by looking into the optics and cannot be projected. Light rays are not where the image appears to be. Formed when light rays from an object appear to come from another point in space.

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18
Q

When reflection occurs off a flat surface, what is it said to form?

A

A mirror image.

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19
Q

What is formed from a mirror image? (4)

A
  1. Object of the same size.
  2. As far behind the mirror as the object is in front.
  3. Virtual
  4. Latterly inverted or back to front but the right way up.
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20
Q

In what way could lateral inversion be used in aircraft?

A

Heads up displays.

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21
Q

What are the types of spherical mirrors?

A
  1. Concave

2. Convex.

22
Q

In a concave and convex mirror, approximately, where is the focal point between centre of curvature of mirror and pole of the mirror,?

A

Approx. halfway.

23
Q

What shape is a convex mirror/lens?

A

Bulging out towards the light source.

24
Q

What does a convex mirror do to the image?

A

Demagnify the image and provides a wider field of view.

25
Q

Where are convex mirrors commonly used?

A

Car side mirrors.

26
Q

What shape is a concave mirror/lens?

A

Bulging inward away from the light source.

27
Q

What does a concave mirror do to the image?

A

magnifies the image and provides a smaller field of view.

28
Q

What does the size of the image depend on for a concave mirror?

A

The distance from the surface.

29
Q

Where are concave mirrors used?

A

Telescopes and make up mirrors.

30
Q

How is refraction described?

A

The change of direction of a wave when it enters a different medium.

31
Q

What is refractive index?

A

The ratio that describes how fast light passes through a material.

A measure of the bending power of a particular material.

32
Q

What is the angle of refraction?

A

The angle between the refracted ray and normal.

33
Q

What does a higher refractive index mean?

A

The more the light is bent through the medium, and the lower the speed of light.

34
Q

What is Snell’s law?

A

The formula used to describe the relationship between the angle of incidence and refraction.

35
Q

What is a lens?

A

An optical device that transmits and refracts light.

36
Q

What is the difference between mirrors and lenses?

A

They are both curved, but lenses use refraction rather than reflection.

37
Q

What do lenses exploit?

A

The fact that as a ray of light travels from air into glass, it is refracted towards the normal, and as it travels from glass into air, it refracts away from the normal.

38
Q

How do images appear when viewed through a convex lens?

A

Appears upright or inverted depending on the distance from the lens to the object.

39
Q

What happens if the object is closer to the lens than the focal point?

A

The image is real, inverted and magnified.

40
Q

What happens if the object is beyond the focal point? (lenses)

A

The image is virtual, upright and magnified. (magnifying glass).

41
Q

What is a concave lens also known as?

A

A diverging lens.

42
Q

What happens to the light rays of a concave lens?

A

They are spread out or diverged by the lens.

43
Q

What image is formed by a concave lens?

A

Always upright, virtual and diminished.

44
Q

What are fibre optics?

A

They deal with the transmission of light sources through fibres.

45
Q

Simply, how do fibre optics work?

A

Information is converted to a light signal, transmitted along a fibre at the speed of light and reconverted into information and its destination.

46
Q

What is a fibre?

A

Hair thin strand of glass or plastic.

47
Q

What advantages does fibre optics have over metal wires? (3)

A
  1. Light and smaller (fibre opt0ic cable: 0.1mm dia, protective jacket: 6mm)
  2. Able to carry far more information
  3. Safer (no electricity being conducted).
48
Q

What is the main disadvantage of fibre optics?

A

They are difficult to terminate.

49
Q

What is meant by the term total internal reflection?

A

Where light is reflected back within a fibre and very little light is lost.

50
Q

How is a fibre optic cable constructed?

A

A core with a high refractive index and a cladding with a low refractive index.

51
Q

Where does the greatest signal loss occur within a fibre optic cable?

A

At the connectors and couplings.

B1 M2 - Physics (9 decks)

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