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MCAT Physics > Light and Optics > Flashcards

Light and Optics Flashcards

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1
Q

speed of light

A

c = f x wavelength

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2
Q

blackbody

A
  • ideal absorber of all wavelengths of light
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3
Q

electromag spectrum

A

radio 10^9-1 m
microwave 1 m-1 mm
infrared 1 mm-700 nm
visible light 700-400 nm
UV 400-50 nm
X-rays 50-10^-2 nm
gamma <10^-2

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4
Q

when light travels through a homogenous medium, it travels in a line…

A

rectilinear propagation

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5
Q

law of reflection

A

Ø1 = Ø2

measured in relation with the normal

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6
Q

Real images in a mirror

A
  • if light actually converges at the position of the image
  • ability to be projected onto a screen
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7
Q

virtual images in mirror

A
  • lightly only appears to be coming from the position of the image but does not actually converge there
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8
Q

plane mirror

A
  • flat reflective surfaces
  • cause neither convergence nor divergence of light rays
  • always creates virtual images
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9
Q

spherical mirrors

A
  • concave or convex
  • center of curvature: point on the optical axis located at a distance equal to the radius of curvature from the vertex of the mirror
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10
Q

concave surface

A
  • center of curvature and the radius of curvature are located in front of the mirror
  • converging mirrors
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11
Q

convex surface

A
  • the center of curvature and the radius of curvature are behind the mirror
  • diverging mirrors
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12
Q

focal length (f)

A

distance between focal point (F) and the mirror
for all spherical mirrors, focal point = r/2

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13
Q

relationship between key variable in geometrical optics

A

1/f = 1/o + 1/i = 2/r
f: focal length
o: distance between object and mirror
i: distance between image and mirror

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14
Q

positive image distance i>0

A
  • real image
  • image in front of mirror
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15
Q

negative image distance i<0

A
  • virtual
  • behind mirror
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16
Q

plane mirrors can be thought of as…

A
  • spherical mirrors w indefinitely large focal distances
  • r=f=inf
    1/o + 1/i = 0
    i = -o
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17
Q

magnification (m)

A

m = - i/o

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18
Q

negative magnification

A

inversion

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19
Q

positive magnification

A

upright image

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20
Q

|m| < 1

A

image smaller

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21
Q

|m| > 1

A

image is larger

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22
Q

refraction

A
  • bending of light as it passes from one medium of light to another and changes speed
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23
Q

snell’s law

A

n = c/v

n: index of refraction
c: speed of light
v: speed of light in medium

n1sinØ1 = n2sinØ2

1: where light comes from
2: where light is entering

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24
Q

when light enters a medium with a higher index of refraction (n2 > n1)…

A

it bends towards the normal
(sinØ2 < sinØ1, Ø2 < Ø1)

25
Q

when light enters a medium with a lower index of refraction (n2 < n1)…

A

it bends away from the normal
(sinØ2 > sinØ1, Ø2 > Ø1)

26
Q

total internal reflection

A
  • a phenomenon in which all the light incident on a boundary is reflected back into the original material, results w any angle of incidence greater than critical angle Øc
  • refraction cannot occur
27
Q

critical angle Øc

A
  • when light move from higher index to lower index, the refracted Ø2 angle is larger than that of Ø1, bending away from the normal
  • as incident angle inc so does refracted angle
  • critical angle reached when Ø2=90°
    Øc = sin^-1 (n2/n1)
28
Q

lenses

A
  • lenses refract light while mirrors reflect it
  • when working with lenses, there are two surfaces that affect the light path
  • lenses cause double refraction before meeting the eye
29
Q

thin spherical lenses

A
  • 1 focal point on each side
  • focal lengths are equal so we speak of one focal length for the lens as a whole
  • converging lens thicker at the center and diverging lens is always thinner at the center

1/f = 1/o + 1/i
m = -i/o

30
Q

real lenses

A
  • thickness cannot be neglected
  • focal length related to curvature of the lens surfaces
    1/f = (n-1)(1/r1 - 1/r2)
31
Q

single lens sign conventions

A

~
+ -
o: object same side as light opposite

i: image opposite side light same
(real) (virtual)

r: convex concave
(converging) (diverging)

f: convex concave
(converging) (diverging)

m: upright inverted

32
Q

Designations of real and virtual when comparing mirrors and lenses…

A
  • are on opposite sides
  • remember, the R side is dependent on where the light goes after interacting w the lens or mirror
  • light does through the lens, and so the R side is opposite the light whereas the front is R for a mirror because of reflection
33
Q

for both mirrors and lenses, converging species have…

A

(+) focal lengths and radii or curvature

34
Q

for both mirrors and lenses, diverging species have…

A

(-) focal lengths and radii of curvature

35
Q

for thin lenses with negligible thickness, the sign of focal length and radius of curvature…

A

are given based on the first surface the light passes through

36
Q

Power

A

P = 1/f
- diopters
- pos for converging lens nearsighted
- neg for diverging lens farsighted

37
Q

bifocal lenses

A

one converging lens hyperopia

one diverging lens myopia

38
Q

multiple lens system negligible distance

A

1/f = 1/f1 +…+ 1/fn
P = P1 +…+ Pn

39
Q

Multiple lens magnification not in contact

A

m = m1 x m2 … x mn

40
Q

spherical aberrations

A

blurring of periphery of an image as a result of inadequate reflection of parallel beams at the edge of the lens

41
Q

dispersion

A
  • when various wavelengths of light separate from each other
42
Q

chromatic abberation

A
  • a dispersive effect within a spherical lens
  • cars and eyeglasses correct for rainbow halos and splitting of white light
43
Q

diffraction

A
  • spreading out of light as it passes through a narrow opening or around an obstacle
  • interference between diffracted light rays lead to the characteristic fringes in slit-lens and double- slit systems
44
Q

single slit

A
  • narrow opening size on the order of light wavelengths then light waves spread out, diffract
45
Q

slit-lens system

A
  • placed between a narrow slit and a screen, a pattern is observed consisting of a bright central fringe with alternating dark and bright fringes on each side
  • central bright fringe twice as wide as the bright fringes on the side
  • slits become narrower and central max becomes wider
46
Q

location of dark fringes (minima) slit-lens system

A

asinØ = n x wavelength

47
Q

multiple slits

A
  • displacements of the waves add together in interference
  • diffracted light rays emerging from parallel slits can interfere with one another
  • constructive interference bright maxima
  • destructive interference dark minima
48
Q

position of dark minima in multiple slit system

A

dsinØ = (n + 1/2) x wavelength

49
Q

diffraction gratings

A
  • multiple slits in patterns
  • create colorful patterns similar to a prism as wavelengths interfere in characteristic patterns
  • interference between reflected rays
  • DVD surface, bubbles
50
Q

X-Ray Diffraction

A
  • bending of light rays to create a model of molecules
  • often combined with protein crystallography during protein analysis
  • dark and light fringes do not take on a linear appearance, but instead a complex 2D image
51
Q

plane-polarized light

A
  • light in which electric fields of all the waves are oriented in the same direction
  • magnetic field vectors are also parallel, plane of electric field dictates that the plane of the electric field identified the plane of polarization
  • unpolarized has random orientation of its electric field vectors
  • polarizers
52
Q

circular polarization

A
  • rare
  • interaction of light w certain pigments or highly specialized filters
  • uniform amplitude but a continuously changing direction
  • helical orientation in the propagating wave
  • helix has average electrical field vectors and the magnetic field vectors that lie perpendicular to one another with maxima that fall on the outer border of the helix
53
Q

red

A

620-750 nm

54
Q

orange

A

590-620 nm

55
Q

yellow

A

570-590 nm

56
Q

green

A

495-570 nm

57
Q

blue

A

450-495 nm

58
Q

violet

A

380-450 nm

59
Q

how does the frequency of light change when moving from one medium to another?

A

it doesn’t

MCAT Physics (10 decks)

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