Light and Vision Flashcards
Are light waves transverse or longitudinal?
Transverse
What is the wavelength of a light wave?
The distance between two successive crests or troughs
What is frequency of a wave?
The number of complete waves that pass a point in one second
What is the velocity of a light wave? What is it dependant on?
How fast the wave is moving (depends on the medium it’s moving through)
What is the speed of light in a vacuum?
299,800km/s (8 times around the world in one second)
What is the range of wavelengths for radio waves?
1,000km-1mm
How does magnetic resonance imaging work?
Hydrogen atoms absorb and emit radio waves in a magnetic field, and the changing in atom alignment creates images of the body
What is the range of wavelengths for microwaves?
10cm-0.01cm
What is the range of wavelengths for visible light?
700nm-400nm
What are the types of UV light?
UVA, UVB, UVC
What type of UV light is largely responsible for sunburn and eventual skin cancer?
UVB
What type of UV light is mostly blocked by earth’s atmosphere and is the highest energy, most harmful to life type?
UVC
What type of UV light is the lowest energy yet can still cause skin damage?
UVA
How are X-Rays used to produce an X-Ray image?
An X-ray machine produces a concentrated beam of electrons which comes into contact with our body tissues and produces an image on a metal film
What is the most energetic form of light/electromagnetic wave?
Gamma Radiation/Rays
What are some medical uses for Gamma Radiation?
Sterilising medical equipment and Attacking cancer cells (in certain radio therapies)
What is light reflection?
Light bouncing off a surface at the same angle it hits the surface at
How is colour percieved?
When light is reflected off of certain objects, it is perceived as colour depending on the wavelength of light reflected
What is light refraction?
The changing of speed and trajectory of light as it moves from one medium to another
If light enters a denser medium, does it refract towards or away from the normal?
Towards the normal
If light enters a less dense medium, does it refract towards or away from the normal?
Away from the normal
What is the difference between polarised and unpolarised light?
Unpolarised light has electromagnetic fields oscillating in all possible directions, whereas polarised light has electromagnetic fields oscillating in only one direction
What is the front dome of the eye called?
The cornea
What is the “white” of the eye?
The sclera