Light : Chapter 3 - Test Prep Flashcards
What is reflection?
When light bounces off an object.
What is the law of reflection?
That a reflected wave hitting a smooth surface will bounce in a straight line, and that a reflected wave hitting an angled surface will bounce on an angle.
What is incidence?
The arrival of a beam of light at a surface.
What is regular reflection?
Reflection of a wave off of a smooth surface.
What is diffuse reflection?
Reflection of a wave off of a rough surface.
What are some examples of light sources?
Flames, lightbulbs and the sun are all light sources.
What are objects that produce light called?
Luminous objects.
What are objects that are visible, but do not produce light?
Illuminated objects.
True or False : Most objects are not light sources, they just reflect light.
True
What is absorption?
The transfer of energy carried by light waves to particles of matter.
Why does a flashlight beam get dimmer as it’s light moves farther away from you?
When the beam of light shines through air, particles in the air absorb some of the energy from the light.
What is scattering?
The interaction of light with matter causing light to change direction.
True or False : Light with longer wavelengths scatters more than light with shorter wavelengths.
False. Light with shorter wavelengths scatters more than light with longer wavelengths.
What is refraction?
The bending of a wave as it passes between two substances in which the speed of the wave differs.
Why does refraction occur?
Refraction occurs because the speed of light depends on matter/material.
What happens when a wave enters a new material at an angle?
When a wave enters a new material at an angle, the part of the wave that enters first begins traveling at a different speed than the rest of the wave.
How do optical illusions occur?
The objects underwater reflect the light in a non-straight line.
True or False : When white light is refracted, the amount of bending depends on the wavelength.
True.
True or False : White light cannot be separated into colors.
False. White light can be separated into colors.
True or False : Rainbows are caused by sunlight refracted in water droplets.
True.
What is diffraction?
The change in direction of a wave when the the wave finds an edge.
True or False : The amount of diffraction that occurs depends on the wavelength of the wave and the size of the barrier or opening.
True.
True or False : The greatest amount of diffraction occurs when the barrier or opening is larger than the wavelength.
False. The greatest amount of diffraction occurs when the barrier or opening is the same size or smaller than the wavelength.
True or False : Light cannot diffract much around large obstacles. This is why we cannot see through buildings.
True.
What is interference?
The combination of two or more waves to form a single wave.
What is constructive interference?
The wave resulting from the interference has a greater amplitude (height) than the original wave.
What is destructive interference?
The wave resulting from the interference has a smaller amplitude (height) than the original wave.
True or False : Interference can be observed through two small slits in a screen. The screen will show alternating light and dark bands. The light bands are caused by constructive interference, and the darker bands are caused by destructive interference.
True.
What is light?
A type of energy that travels through waves.
True or False : Light does not require matter to travel through.
True.
True or False : Light is not an electromagnetic wave.
False. Light is an electromagnetic wave.
True or False : Fields exist around certain objects.
True.
What is an electric field?
A field that surrounds every charged object.
What is a magnetic field?
A field that surrounds every magnet.
What is radiation?
The transfer of energy as electromagnetic (EM) waves.
How can an EM wave be produced?
An EM wave can be produced by the vibration of an electrically charged particle. When the particle vibrates, the electric field around it also vibrates, and when the electric field starts vibrating, a vibrating magnetic field is created. The vibration of the electric and magnetic field together produces an electromagnetic wave.
What is the speed of light?
About 300,000 kilometers per second.
True or False : Light travels faster in glass, air and other types of matter.
False. Light travels slower in glass, air and other types of matter. Electromagnetic waves do not need a substance to travel through (unlike other types of waves) but they can travel through many types of matter.