Chapter 12: Light Flashcards
only absorb and reflect light; no light passes through
opaque
transmits light but also scatters it; cannot see clearly
translucent
transmits light without scattering it; can see objects clearly
transparent
a property of a material that indicates how much the speed of light in the material is reduced compared to the speed of light in a vacuum
index of refraction
an image of a distant object produced by the refraction of light through air layers of different densities
mirage
a transparent material that selectively transmits light
filter
a colored material that is used to change the color of other substances
pigment
light generated by heating a piece of metal until it glows
incandescent light
light of only one wavelength that travels in one direction with a constant distance between the corresponding crests of the waves
coherent light
can have more than one wavelength, can travel in more than one direction, and does not travel with a constant distance between the corresponding crests of the waves
incoherent light
light with a magnetic field that vibrates in only one direction
linearly polarized light
a technique that produces a hologram, a complete three-dimensional photographic image on an object
holography
the complete reflection of light at the boundary between two different materials
total internal reflection
a device that reads intensities of reflected light and converts the information to digital signals
optical scanner
what three things can materials do to light waves?
absorb, transmit, or reflect
light waves always follow the…
law of reflection
reflection can be…
regular or diffuse
different wavelengths of light are refracted by…
different amounts
light waves of different wavelengths or combinations of wavelengths cause the human eye to…
detect colors
the color of an object depends on the ______________________.
wavelengths of light it reflects
the light-sensitive cells found the human eye are:
rod and cone cells
the color of a filter is…
the color of light that the filter transmits
all light colors can be created by mixing the primary light colors:
red, green, and blue
all pigment colors can be formed by mixing the primary pigment colors:
magenta, cyan, and yellow
common ways of producing light
heating a filament and passing a current through a gas
what two kinds of lightbulbs are often used in homes, schools, and offices?
incandescent and fluorescent lightbulbs
when electrons collide with _________, red light is emitted
neon gas
what kind of bulb is brighter and hotter than an ordinary incandescent bulb?
tungsten-halogen bulb
lasers emit…
narrow beams of coherent light
light can be used to…. (usages discussed in chapter)
form three-dimensional images and to transmit information in optical fibers
the magnetic fields in linearly polarized light vibrate…
in only one direction
polarizing filters transmit…
light polarized in one direction
lasers are used to produce…
holograms
