Angles of incidence, reflection and refraction Flashcards
What is the angle of incidence?
The angle between the incident ray and the normal to the surface at the point of incidence.
True or False: The angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence.
True
What is the law of reflection?
The law states that the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.
Fill in the blank: The point where the incident ray strikes the surface is called the ______.
point of incidence
What happens to light when it hits a reflective surface?
It bounces back into the original medium.
What is refraction?
The bending of light as it passes from one medium to another with a different density.
What is the angle of refraction?
The angle between the refracted ray and the normal at the interface of two media.
True or False: The speed of light changes when it enters a medium with a different refractive index.
True
What is Snell’s Law?
The formula that relates the angles of incidence and refraction to the indices of refraction of the two media.
If the refractive index of medium 1 is n1 and that of medium 2 is n2, what is the formula for Snell’s Law?
n1 * sin(θ1) = n2 * sin(θ2)
What does a higher refractive index indicate?
The medium is denser and light travels slower in it.
Fill in the blank: Total internal reflection occurs when the angle of incidence exceeds the ______.
critical angle
What is the critical angle?
The angle of incidence above which total internal reflection occurs.
True or False: The angle of incidence can be greater than 90 degrees.
False
What is an incident ray?
The ray of light that strikes a surface before reflection or refraction.
What is a normal line?
An imaginary line perpendicular to the surface at the point of incidence.
Fill in the blank: When light travels from air into water, it ______.
bends towards the normal
What is the relationship between the angle of incidence and the angle of refraction in a denser medium?
The angle of incidence is greater than the angle of refraction.
What happens to light rays when they pass from a less dense medium to a more dense medium?
They slow down and bend towards the normal.
What is dispersion?
The separation of light into its constituent colors due to different degrees of refraction.
True or False: The angle of incidence can be zero.
True
What is an example of a reflective surface?
A mirror
Fill in the blank: The phenomenon where light is bent when it enters a different medium is called ______.
refraction
What is the term for the change in direction of light due to reflection?
Reflection
