Light And Matter Flashcards
What is Light?
-Light is a type of energy that travels in waves
-It can travel through space, air, water, and other transparent materials
-Light travels in a straight line until it interacts with matter
Examples of Natural Light
The Sun, Stars, Fireflies are examples of?
Examples of Artificial light?
Light bulbs, flashlights, lasers are examples of what kind of light?
What are the 3 properties of light?
Reflection
Refraction
Absorption
What is Reflection?
When light bounces off a surface
What is refraction?
When light bends as it passes through different materials (like glass or water)
What is Absorption?
When light is taken in by a material and transformed into heat
How do we see objects?
They reflect light into our eyes
What is a luminous object?
Objects that emit their own light. Like the sun, a light bulb
What is a non-luminous object?
Objects that reflect light. Like a chair, the moon, books
What type of light is made up of many colors?
White light
What breaks light up into multiple colors?
A prism
Primary Colors of Light
Red, Green, Blue
Why are objects different colors?
Objects absorb some colors and reflect others, which is why they appear to be certain colors
What is transparent material?
Allow most of the light to pass through (Glass)
What is Translucent material?
Let some of the light pass through but scatter it, so objects behind them appear blurry (frosted glass)
What is Opaque material?
Block light completely, so you cannot see through them (wood)
What causes a shadow?
When an object blocks light
What affects the size of the shadow?
The size and shape of the shadows depend on the light source position and the object distance from the light source
What is the law of reflection?
The angle at which light hits a surface (angle of incidence) is equal to the angle at which it reflects off the surface (angle of reflection)
What is a mirror?
Reflects light in a regular way, producing clear images
What do rough surfaces do to light/reflection?
They scatter light in different directions, or inducing blurry or no images
What happens to the speed of light when it passes through materials?
It changes speed when makes it bend (Example straw appears bent when in glass of water)
What is Refraction?
The bending of light
