light and the electromagnetic spectrum Flashcards
what does the angle of incidence =
angle of reflection
what is the angle of incidence
the angle between the incoming wave and the normal
what is the angle of reflection
the angle between the reflected wave and the normal
what is the normal and how is it usually shown
shown through a dotted line
it’s a imaginary line that’s perpendicular to the surface at the point of incidence
what does total internal reflection depend on
critical angle
what is specular reflection
when waves are reflected in a single direction by a smooth surface, means you get a clear reflection
e.g. when light reflects by a mirror
what is diffuse reflection
when waves are reflected by a rough surface and the waves are reflected in all directions
e.g. paper
how to investigate refraction using a glass block
1) place a rectangular glass block on a piece of paper and trace around it. Use a ray box to shine a ray of light at the middle of one side of the block.
2) Trace the incident ray and the emergent ray on the other side of the block. Remove the block and, with a straight line, join up the incident ray and the emergent ray to show the path of the refracted ray through the block.
3) Draw the normal at the point where the light ray entered the block. Use a protractor to measure the angle between the incident ray and the normal (the angle of incidence, I) and the angle between the refracted ray and the normal (the angle of refraction, R).
4) Do the same for the point where the ray emerges from the block.
5) Repeat this three times, keeping the angle of incidence as the ray enters the block the same.
6) Calculate an average for each of the angles.
what do colour and transparency depend on
absorbed wavelengths
colour
differences in absorption, transmission, and reflection of different wavelengths by different materials
what is white light a mix of
all the the different colours of light, all different wavelengths
objects which reflect all of the wavelengths of the visible light equally
white
objects which absorb all wavelengths of visible light
black
objects which transmit light
transparent (see through)
translucent (partially see through)
objects which do not transmit light
opaque objects
colours with long wavelengths and low frequency
reds, oranges, yellows and partially green
colours with short wavelengths and high frequencies
purple, blue into greens
what are the 2 main types of lens
converging
diverging
what is a converging lens
lens which bulges outwards on the middle, causes parallel rays of light to be brought together
also know as convex lens
what is a diverging lens
a lens which caves inwards, causes parallel rays of light to spread out
what is the principle focus of
converging lens
where rays hitting the lens parallel to the axis all meet
what is the principle focus of a diverging lens
the point where rays hitting the lens parallel to the axis appear to come from