Light, sound science pt 2

Question 1

How fast is the speed of light?

Answer 1

300,000 km/s (or 300,000,000 m/s).

Question 2

Is light faster or slower in water?

Answer 2

It is slower in water as it is a denser medium.

Question 3

Explain the difference between reflection and refraction.

Answer 3

Refraction is the bending of light as a result of speeding up or slowing down when it passes through a transparent medium. In comparison, reflection is the bouncing of light off a reflective surface such
as a mirror.

Question 4

What is the law of reflection?

Answer 4

The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.

Question 5

Why does light bend and how does this relate to a material’s density?

Answer 5

changes speed when it enters a transparent media with a different density.

When light enters a denser medium it bends towards the normal, and when it enters a less dense medium is bends away from the normal.

Question 6

When is the only time that light entering a transparent medium does not bend?

Answer 6

When it strikes a medium at 90 o to the surface (perpendicular).

Question 7

a converging lens

Answer 7

A converging lens (biconvex lens) refracts light so that all light rays converge and form a visible
focal point behind the lens.

Question 8

diverging lens.

Answer 8

A diverging lens (biconcave lens) refracts light so that all light rays
diverge (spread apart) and the focal point is imagined in front of the lens.