P3.2.2 & 3.2.4 - Refraction & Light Dispersion

Question 1

What is refraction? [2]

Answer 1

The bending of light as it travels from one medium to another

Question 2

When do refraction occur? [2]

Answer 2

when the speed of light changes when it is travelling from one medium to another.

Question 3

What does a change in density/ medium lead to a change in? [2]

Answer 3

• change of speed
• change of overall direction of the wave

Question 4

When do waves not bend? [1]

Answer 4

when there is homogenity (uniformity) (being the same)

Question 5

What type of medium do you need to bend light? [1]

Answer 5

Transparent medium

Question 6

What is a beam? [1]

Answer 6

consists of many rays of light

Question 7

What is the reason why light bends? [1]

Answer 7

The change of speed of light

Question 8

What does density cause? [1]

Answer 8

refraction of light

Question 9

What is normal density? [1]

Answer 9

heaviness or lightness of a material

Question 10

What is optical density? [1]

Answer 10

how much a material is able to slow down light

Question 11

How is no refraction caused? [2]

Answer 11

If light travels perpendicular from one medium to another.

Question 12

What happens to the frequency, when medium changes? [1]

Answer 12

ALWAYS stays the same

Question 13

What happens to the speed if you go from denser to rare medium? [1]

Answer 13

It gets faster

Question 14

What happens to the speed if you go from rarer medium to denser medium? [1]

Answer 14

It slows down

Question 15

What is the formula for REFRACTIVE INDEX? [2]

Answer 15

n = sin i / sin r

Question 16

What is the full form of the formula for refractive index? [2]

Answer 16

refractive index = sin of angle of incidence / sin of refracted angle

Question 17

What will be the refracted index value if the material is denser than air? [1]

Answer 17

More than 1

Question 18

Which medium is denser than air? [1]

Answer 18

Water

Question 19

What is the definition of refractive index? [2]

Answer 19

the ratio of the speeds of a wave in two different regions

Question 20

What is another formula for refractive index in terms of speed of light? [2]

Answer 20

n = speed of light in air or vacuum / speed of light in the medium

Question 21

What happens to the refracted line if it goes from rarer to denser medium in terms of the normal? [1]

Answer 21

It gets closer to the normal

Question 22

What happens to the refracted line if it goes from denser to rarer medium in terms of the normal? [1]

Answer 22

It gets further away to the normal

Question 23

What is the speed of light in air or in a vacuum? [2]

Answer 23

3 x 10^8

Question 24

What is the speed of light in glass? [2]

Answer 24

2 × 10^8

Question 25

What is the concept of deviation in a prism? [3]

Answer 25

When light is refracted by a prism, comes out in different direction because the sides of a prism are not parallel

Question 26

What is the effect of dispersion in a prism? [2]

Answer 26

light is passed through a prism, it splits into a range of colours called a spectrum

Question 27

What are wavefronts? [1]

Answer 27

imaginary planes perpendicular to the crests or the troughs

Question 28

What is a wavelength in terms of wavefronts? [1]

Answer 28

the distance between two wavefronts

Question 29

What happens when the medium changes from rarer to denser in terms of wavelength and frequency? [2]

Answer 29

• wavelength changes
• frequency stays the same

Question 30

What is a ray? [1]

Answer 30

a line perpendicular to wavefronts