Ch. 8: Light and Optics

Question 1

Electromagnetic Waves

Answer 1

Transverse waves that consist of an oscillating electric field and an oscillating magnetic field– two fields are perpendicular to each other and to the direction of the propagation of the wave

Question 2

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Answer 2

The range of frequencies and wavelengths found in EM waves

Question 3

EM spectrum

Answer 3

From lowest to highest energy: radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, x-rays, and 𝛾 rays

Question 4

Visible Spectrum

Answer 4

Runs from approximately 400 nm (violet) to 700 nm (red)

Question 5

Reflection

Answer 5

Rebounding of incident light waves at the boundary of a medium

Question 6

Law of Reflection

Answer 6

The incident angle will equal the angle of reflection, as measured from the normal

Question 7

Spherical Mirrors

Answer 7

Have centers and radii of curvature, as well as focal points

Question 8

Concave mirrors

Answer 8

Converging systems and can produce real, inverted images, or virtual, upright images, depending on the placement of the object relative to the focal point

Question 9

Convex mirrors

Answer 9

Diverging systems and will only produce virtual, upright images

Question 10

Plane mirrors

Answer 10

Produce virtual, upright images; these images are always the same size as the object. They may be thought of as spherical mirrors w infinite radii of curvature

Question 11

Refraction

Answer 11

Bending of light as it passes from one medium to another. The speed of light changes depending on index of refraction of the medium. The speed change causes refraction. The amount of refraction depends on the wavelength of the light involved; this behavior causes dispersion of light through a prism

Question 12

Snell’s Law

Answer 12

The law of refraction, states that there is an inverse relationship between the index of refraction and the sine of the angle of refraction (measured from the normal)

Question 13

Total internal reflection

Answer 13

Occurs when light cannot be refracted out of a medium and is instead reflected back inside the medium. This happens when light moves from a medium w a higher index of refraction to a medium w a lower index of refraction with a high incident angle. The minimum incident angle at which total internal reflection occurs in called the critical angle

Question 14

Lenses

Answer 14

Refract light to form images of objects. Thin symmetrical lenses have focal points on each side. Convex lenses are converging systems and can produce real, inverted images or virtual, upright images. Concave lenses are diverging systems and will only produce virtual, upright images. Lenses w non negligible thickness require use of the lensmaker’s equation

Question 15

draw the image creation table

Answer 15

check notes

Question 16

Diffraction

Answer 16

Bending and spreading out of light waves as they pass through a narrow slit. May produce a large central light fringe surrounded by alternating light and dark fringes w the addition of a lens. Interference supports the wave theory of light.

Question 17

Young’s double slit experiment

Answer 17

Shows the constructive and destructive interference of waves that occur as light passes through parallel slits, resulting in minima (dark fringes) and maxima (bright fringes) of intensity.

Question 18

Plane-polarized light

Answer 18

All of the light rays have electric fields w parallel orientation

Question 19

Polarizer

Answer 19

Plane polarized light is created by passing unpolarized light thorough a polarizer

Question 20

Circularly polarized light

Answer 20

All of the light rays have electric fields w equal intensity but constantly rotating direction. Created by exposing unpolarized light to special pigments or filters