chapter 5

Question 1

what can happen when light falls onto a surface

Answer 1

reflection
transmission
absorption
refraction
dispersion

Question 2

what is a regular reflection

Answer 2

occurs on a smooth and shiny surface that the // beam reflects back as a // beam producing a clear and undistorted image

Question 3

what is an irregular reflection

Answer 3

occurs on a surface that is not smooth or straight, causing the //beam to be reflected back in all directions producing a rough and dull image or none at all

Question 4

what is a virtual line

Answer 4

an imaginary line eg normal

Question 5

what are the characteristics of a plane mirror

Answer 5

upright
laterally inverted
virtual
same size as object
reflection same distance between object and mirror

Question 6

what is the incident ray

Answer 6

the light ray which strikes the flat smooth shiny surface

Question 7

what is the normal

Answer 7

a virtual line at 90 degrees

Question 8

what is the reflected ray

Answer 8

a ray reflected back into the viewers eye

Question 9

whats the relationship btwn incident and reflection ray

Answer 9

both are equal

Question 10

what is refraction

Answer 10

the bending of light from one medium to another of different optical density

Question 11

why does refraction occur

Answer 11

speed of light changes as it travels through different mediums

Question 12

where does light bend towards when it travels from less dense to denser medium

Answer 12

normal

Question 13

where does light bend towards when it travels from denser to less dense medium

Answer 13

away from normal nearer to incident ray

Question 14

what is the relationship btwn emergent and incident ray

Answer 14

they are parallel

Question 15

when the light ray is coming at 90 degrees does anything happen

Answer 15

no because 90 degrees is the normal so its an exception

Question 16

explain why light bends when it enters a glass block

Answer 16

light travels from air, a less dense optical medium to glass, a denser optical medium, hence it changes its speeds and bends

Question 17

what are some effects of refraction

Answer 17

1. a straw appears bent in a glass of water
2. objects in water appear closer to the surface
3. pool appears less shallow than it actually is

Question 18

why does a pencil appear bent in a glass of water

Answer 18

as light travels from water to air, light travels from an optically denser medium to a less optically dense medium. light then bends away from the normal. the observer sees the pencil at a virtual position, making it appear nearer to the surface than the actual position of the pencil

Question 19

what is dispersion

Answer 19

occurs when white light enters a glass prism, the light splits into 7 different colours called a spectrum

Question 20

why does dispersion occur

Answer 20

each colour making up the white light is refracted at different angles bc each colour travels at different speeds as it travels from air to prism

Question 21

what colours make up white light

Answer 21

violet
indigo
blue
green
yellow
orange
red

Question 22

which colour is refracted the most bc it has the longest wavelength

Answer 22

red

Question 23

which colour is refracted the least bc it has the shortest wavelength

Answer 23

violet

Question 24

whats the inner curve called

Answer 24

concave

Question 25

whats the outer curve called

Answer 25

convex