Optics and Wave Phenomena Flashcards
Define phase velocity
Wave speed on a string
Speed of sound in fluid
Speed of sound in an ideal gas
Doppler effect for sound
(positive velocities for approaching)
Doppler effect for light
Index of refraction
Snell’s Law
Critical angle for total internal reflection
Wavelength in medium
Types of polarization
- Linear: E field oscillates along a line
- Circular: E field draws out a circle in angle / magnitude space parametrized by time
- Elliptical: Same as for circular, but draws an ellipse
Malus’s Law
Brewster’s Angle (defintion and formula)
Brewster’s angle (also known as the polarization angle) is an angle of incidence at which light with a particular polarization is perfectly transmitted through a transparent dielectric surface, with no reflection. When unpolarized light is incident at this angle, the light that is reflected from the surface is therefore perfectly polarized.
Lateral magnification
Spherical mirror focus length
Principal ray behavior for spherical mirrors
- Parallel to axis to go the focal point
- Toward the focal point go parallel to the axis
- Radially incoming rays leave on the original path
- Rays to the vertex go out at the same angle
Thin lens equation
Lensmaker’s Equation
Principal rays for lenses
- Parallel to axis emerge directed at the focal point
- Rays through the center emerge unbent
- Rays towards the focal point emergy parallel to the axis
Path length difference for double slit interference
Single slit diffraction dark fringes
Bragg Diffraction in an array (condition for constructive interference)
First minimum from diffraction by a circular aperature
Rayleigh scattering intensity proportionality
Dispersion effect
The index of refraction for a particular wavelength of light generally decreases as the wavelength increases (i.e., “blue bends best”: blue light has a high frequency, therefore a low wavelength, therefore a high index of refraction)
Phase shift upon reflection
If you reflect from something with a lower index of refraction, there is no phase shift. If you reflect from something with a higher index of refraction, there is a pi phase shift.
Magnification of a telescope
Diffraction grating
The maxima of a diffraction grating occur at the locations of the corresponding minima for single slit diffraction
