Light & Optics Flashcards
The distance from crest to crest or trough to trough.
Wavelength
The height of a wave crest or depth of a wave trough, as measured from the rest position.
Amplitude
Has energy, can be seen, and is all the colours of the rainbow.
Visible Light
The bending or changing direction of a wave as it passes from one material to another.
Refraction
Occurs when a light wave strikes an object & bounces off.
Reflection
The waves carry energy, & most waves are invisible. We need the spectrum & use it every day.
Electromagnetic Spectrum
Used in radios. Has the lowest energy & longest wavelength compared to all other types of EM waves.
Radio Waves
Used in microwaves. Has the shortest wavelength & highest energy of all the radio waves.
Microwaves
Used in heat lamps. Has a longer wavelength, lower energy, and lower frequency compared to light.
Infrared Waves
Can come from the sun. Compared to light, it has a shorter wavelength, higher energy, & higher frequency. It can help you get Vitamin D, but can also give you a sunburn.
Ultraviolet Waves
Used to X ray bones. Compared to UV waves, it has a much shorter wavelength, higher frequency, & higher energy.
X rays
This type of material allows light to pass through it freely. We can see through this type of material easily.
Transparent
This type of material allows most light rays to get through, but scatters them in all directions. We can see through this type of material, but what we see appears blurry.
Translucent
This type of material prevents any light from passing through it. We cannot see through this type of material.
Opaque
The incoming ray in a light diagram.
Incident Ray
The ray that bounces off the barrier in a light diagram.
Reflected Ray
An imaginary line that is perpendicular to the barrier in a light diagram. It is used to help explain how waves reflect.
Normal Ray