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MCAT Physics > Physics #8 > Flashcards

Physics #8 Flashcards

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1
Q

arrange the 7 components of the electrochemical spectrum from least to most energy

A

radio > microwave > infrared > visible > ultraviolet > X rays > gamma rays

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2
Q

can electromagnetic waves travel through a vacuum?

A

yes

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3
Q

explain how electric and magnetic field vectors and the direction of propagation of the wave relate to each other

A

they are all perpendicular

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4
Q

what is the range of wavelengths of visible light?

A

400-700 nm

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5
Q

how many meters is a micrometer?

A

10^-6 meters is 1 micrometer

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6
Q

how many meters is an angstrom?

A

1 angstrom is 10^-10 meters

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7
Q

in a vacuum, what is the speed of all electromagnetic waves?

A

speed of light

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8
Q

what is the value for the speed of light in vacuum and air?

A

3x10^8 m/s

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9
Q

light that contains all of the colors in equal intensity is perceived as ____

A

white

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10
Q

blackbody

A

an ideal absorber of all wavelengths of light, which would appear completely black if it were lower temperature than its surroundings

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11
Q

light waves are _____ because the direction of propagation is perpendicular to the direction of oscillation

A

transverse

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12
Q

rectilinear propagation

A

when light travels through a homogenous medium, it travels in a straight line

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13
Q

reflection

A

the rebounding of incident light waves at the boundary of a medium

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14
Q

law of reflection

A

angle with normal is angle with normal that it bounces back at

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15
Q

all angles in optics are measured from the _____, not the surface of the medium

A

normal

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16
Q

compare real and virtual images

A

real: the light actually converges at the position of the image
virtual: the light only appears to be coming from the position of the image but does not actually converge there

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17
Q

plane mirrors always create ____ images

A

virtual

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18
Q

plane mirrors are spherical mirrors with an ______ radius of curvature

A

infinite

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19
Q

the center of curvature is ______

A

a point on the optical axis located at a distance equal to the radius of curvature from the vertex of the mirror
center of mirror if the mirror were a complete sphere

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20
Q

are concave mirrors converging or diverging

A

converging

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21
Q

relate focal length and radius of curvature for all spherical mirrors

A

f = r/2

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22
Q

relate image distance, object distance, focal length, and radius of curvature

A

1/f = 1/i +1/o = 2/r

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23
Q

if i>0, the image is ____

A

real (in front of mirror)

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24
Q

if i<0, the image is ____

A

virtual (behind mirror)

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25
Q

a negative magnification means an ____ image

A

inverted

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26
Q

a positive magnification means an ____ image

A

upright

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27
Q

if the absolute value of magnification is <1, then _____

A

image is reduced

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28
Q

if the absolute value of magnification is >1, then _____

A

image is enlarged

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29
Q

3 important ray diagram lines for concave mirror

A

parallel to normal axis, through focal point before mirror, a ray that strikes the mirror at the point of intersection with the axis

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30
Q

for a concave mirror at which the object is at the focal length, what is the value of the image?

A

infinity

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31
Q

a single diverging mirror forms only ____, ____, and _____ images

A

virtual, upright, reduced

32
Q

for ray diagrams, the image forms ____

A

where the lines meet up

33
Q

the focal length of converging mirrors and lenses will always be ____ and the focal length of diverging mirrors and lenses will always be _____

A

positive

negative

34
Q

for all image types of single lens or mirror, all upright images are _____, ____ image is formed when the object is a focal length away, ____ images are always real ASSUMING o IS POSITIVE

A

virtual
no
inverted

35
Q

when can UV NO IR be used?

A

when o is positive

36
Q

refraction

A

the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another and changes speed

37
Q

the speed of light through any medium is always _____ than its speed through a vacuum

A

less

38
Q

when light enters a medium with a higher index of refraction, it bends _____

A

toward the normal

39
Q

how do you solve for the critical angle and what is it

A

it is the incident angle that results in refraction along the interface of the two medias
to solve for it, theta2 should be 90 degrees in snell’s law

40
Q

total internal reflection

A

phenomenon in which all the light incident on a boundary is reflected back into the original material. results with any angle of incidence greater than the critical angle

41
Q

at what angles do we witness total internal reflection

A

when the incident angle is greater than the critical angle

42
Q

total internal reflection occurs as the light moves from a medium with a ____ refractive index to a medium with a _____ one

A

higher to lower

43
Q

people who are farsighted need ____ lenses

A

converging (convex)

44
Q

people who are nearsighted need ____ lenses

A

diverging (concave)

45
Q

when is the lensmaker’s equation used?

A

for lenses with a thickness that cannot be neglected.

46
Q

how is the eye a real lens?

A

the cornea is the first source of refractive power

47
Q

important rays for lens to see where image is

A

ray to center of lens, straight thru
ray toward focal point or thru focal point before lens, refracts straight
ray parallel to axis, refracts through focal point of front face

48
Q

what units is the power of a lens measured in?

A

diopters

49
Q

what are the units of f in the power equation for lenses?

A

meters

50
Q

how can people who are nearsighted see far objects?

A

clearly

51
Q

what type of lenses do people who are nearsighted need?

A

diverging

52
Q

what is the fancy term for farsighteness

A

hyperopia

53
Q

what is the fancy term for nearsightedness

A

myopia

54
Q

what type of lens is the cornea of the eye

A

converging lens

55
Q

for lenses not in contact, the ____ of one lens becomes the _____ of another lens

A

the image of one lens becomes the object for another lens

56
Q

spherical aberration

A

the blurring of the periphery of an image as a result of inadequate reflection of parallel beams at the edge of a mirror or inadequate refraction of parallel beams at the edge of a lens

57
Q

the speed of light in a vacuum is ____ for all wavelengths

A

the same

58
Q

when various wavelengths of light separate from each other it is called _____

A

dispersion

59
Q

when light enters a medium with a different index of refraction, what changes and what stays the same?

A

wavelength changes but frequency stays the same

60
Q

light with _____ wavelengths are bent to a greater extent in refraction

A

smaller

61
Q

chromatic aberration

A

a dispersive effect within a spherical lens. Depending on the thickness and curvature of the lens, there may be significant splitting of white light, which results in a rainbow halo around images

62
Q

aberration is the _____ of an image due to an imperfection in the optical system

A

distortion

63
Q

diffraction

A

the spreading out of light as it passes through a narrow opening or around an obstacle

64
Q

____ and _____ are significant evidence for the wave theory of light

A

diffraction and interference

65
Q

what happens to light as the slit is narrowed in a single slit system?

A

it spreads out more

66
Q

difference between the equations for slit-lens and double slit scenarios

A

see notes

67
Q

for both the slit-lens and double slit scenarios, the 0th fringe (middle) is the ____

A

brightest

68
Q

for very small angles, what is sin(theta) equal to?

A

tan(theta)

69
Q

plane polarized light

A

light in which the electric fields of all the waves are oriented in the same direction (electric field vectors are parallel)

70
Q

specific rotation

A

the clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of plane polarized light due to the presence of chiral centers

71
Q

what orientation of light gets through a polarizer?

A

the portion of the light parallel to the polarizer

72
Q

discuss the direction and amplitude of circularly polarized light

A

uniform amplitude but a continuously changing direction

73
Q

what characteristics of light does a polarizer effect?

A

the amount of light that gets through and the intensity

no effect on frequency, speed, or wavelength

74
Q

what does sin(45 degrees) =

A

0.71

75
Q

does wavelength or frequency of light change going from one medium to another (refracted)?

A

wavelength: yes
frequency: no

76
Q

what happens when the slit becomes smaller for single slit and lens slit scenarios

A

single slit: light waves spread out

slit lens: central bright fringe becomes wider

77
Q

can diffraction grating split colors into their respective wavelengths?

A

yes

MCAT Physics (12 decks)

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