Light and Reflection Flashcards
What is optics?
The study of light
What is light?
A form of energy belonging to the electromagnetic spectrum
What is the speed of light and how long does it take to get to Earth?
3×10⁸m/s and 500s
How would you show light is a form of energy?
You’d use a Crooke’s radiometer or photocell to show energy conversion
How does light travel?
In straight lines
What are the types of light beams?
Converging, diverging and parallel beams
What are converging beams?
Beams of light that go inwards, they can come together and meet
What are diverging light beams?
Beams of light that go outward, they don’t meet
What is reflection?
The bouncing of light off of objects
What is diffuse reflection?
Light hitting an uneven surface and scattering in all directions
State the laws of reflection of light.
- The incident ray, normal at the point of incidence and reflected ray all lie on the same plane.
- The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection
What is the incident ray?
The light ray coming at something (such as a mirror or prism)
What is the reflected ray?
The light ray leaving the object (such as a mirror)
What is specular reflection?
The bouncing of light off a smooth surface such as a mirror, glass or water
What is the image formed in a mirror called?
A virtual image
What is a real image?
An image formed be the actual intersection of light rays, it can be seen on a physical screen
What is a virtual image?
An image formed by the apparent intersection of light rays, cannot be seen on a physical screen
What is steriopsis?
The gaining of information from both eyes and the use of both sets of information to enhance depth perception
What is parallax?
The difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight
What is lateral inversion?
The reversal of left and right in a mirror
What are some uses of plane mirrors?
Periscopes, binoculars and viewing yourself
