Chapter 4: Light And Telescopes Flashcards
Properties of light
-it’s a wave
-it’s a particle
-it carries energy from place to place
What is kinetic energy?
Energy from moving objects
What is thermal energy?
Energy that resides in the random motion of atoms, molecules, and particles, by which we measure their temperature
What is potential energy?
-Energy stored in a system.
-i.e: a stretched rubber band has energy stored within it, which turns into kinetic energy when the band is released.
Is light a wave or a particle?
It is both
What are the four characteristics of a wave?
Amplitude, or height
wavelength, or the distance from one wave crest to the next
frequency, or the number of wave crests passing a point each second
and speed (can be found by multiplying the wavelength and frequency)
How does light act as a particle?
It’s made up of photons that carry energy. Energy is directly proportional to frequency.
What’s another name for visible light?
the visible spectrum
What is the electromagnetic spectrum?
The spectrum made up of all possible frequencies or wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation, ranging from gamma rays to radio waves.
What is radiation?
- Energy that has been emitted as particles or waves
What is absorption?
The capture of electromagnetic radiation by matter.
What is emission?
The release of electromagnetic energy when an atom, molecule or particle drops from a higher-energy state to a lower-energy state.
How do we detect light in the universe?
By how it interacts with matter
How does a refracting telescope work?
With curved lenses that collect and focus electromagnetic radiation and creates an image.
-the amount of refraction depends on both how the properties of the medium affect the speed of the light, and the angle at which the light strikes the medium.
How does a reflecting telescope work?
With curved mirrors that collect and focus incoming electromagnetic radiation and creates an image.
