Optics Flashcards
Reflection
The bouncing of light off an object
Laws of reflection of light
The incident ray, normal at the point of incidence and the reflected ray all lie in the same plane. The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.
Real Image
Actual intersection of light rays
Virtual image
Apparent intersection of light rays
Refraction
The bending of light as it passes from one medium into another
Laws of refraction of light
The incident ray, normal at the point of incidence and the refracted ray all lie in the same plane. Sin i/Sin r = constant.
The refractive index of a medium
the ratio of sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction when light travels from a vacuum to that medium.
Snell’s Law
The ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction is a constant.
Critical Angle
When light travels from a denser medium into a rarer medium the angle of incidence which provides an angle of refraction which is 90’
Total internal reflection
When light going from a denser to a rarer medium is sent down an optical fibre at an angle greater than it’s critical angle it bounces back.
Short Sighted
Cant see far away. Corrected with Diverging Lens
Long sighted
Cant see up close. Corrected with converging lens
