Chapter 20: Electromagnetic Waves Flashcards
What are electromagnetic waves?
“Electromagnetic waves are waves of oscillating electric and magnetic fields that propagate through space and carry energy. Examples include light
What is the speed of electromagnetic waves in a vacuum?
“The speed of electromagnetic waves in a vacuum is the speed of light
What is the relationship between the electric and magnetic fields in an electromagnetic wave?
“In an electromagnetic wave
What is the frequency of an electromagnetic wave?
“The frequency of an electromagnetic wave is the number of complete cycles (oscillations) that pass a point per second
What is the wavelength of an electromagnetic wave?
“The wavelength (λ) of an electromagnetic wave is the distance between two consecutive crests or troughs
What is the equation that relates the speed, frequency, and wavelength of an electromagnetic wave?
“The equation is c = fλ
What is the electromagnetic spectrum?
“The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all electromagnetic waves
What is the order of the electromagnetic spectrum from longest to shortest wavelength?
“Radio waves
What is the visible spectrum?
“The visible spectrum is the range of electromagnetic wavelengths that can be detected by the human eye
What is the energy of an electromagnetic wave?
“The energy of an electromagnetic wave is proportional to its frequency
What is the photoelectric effect?
“The photoelectric effect is the phenomenon in which electrons are ejected from a material when it is exposed to light of sufficient frequency.”
What is the relationship between energy and frequency for a photon?
“The energy of a photon is related to its frequency by the equation E = hf
What is the concept of polarization?
“Polarization is the process by which the vibrations of electromagnetic waves are restricted to a single plane
What is the concept of diffraction?
“Diffraction is the bending of waves around obstacles or through openings
What is the concept of refraction?
“Refraction is the bending of light when it passes from one medium to another
What is Snell’s law?
“Snell’s law describes the relationship between the angles of incidence and refraction when light passes between different media: n₁ sin(θ₁) = n₂ sin(θ₂)
What is the concept of total internal reflection?
“Total internal reflection occurs when light traveling in a denser medium strikes the boundary with a less dense medium at an angle greater than the critical angle
What is the concept of diffraction gratings?
“A diffraction grating is an optical device with a large number of closely spaced slits that disperses light into its component wavelengths based on diffraction.”
What is the concept of a monochromatic wave?
“A monochromatic wave is a wave that consists of a single frequency and wavelength
