Physics Ch 8. Light and Optics Flashcards
Electromagnetic waves
Transverse waves that consist of an oscillating electric field and an oscillating magnetic field, the two fields are perpendicular to each other into the direction of the propagation of the wave
Electromagnetic spectrum
The range of frequencies and wave links found in EM waves, from lowest to highest energy includes Radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, x-rays, and gamma rays
Visible spectrum
Runs from approximately 400 nm (violet) to 700 nm (red)
Reflection
Rebounding of incident light waves at the boundary of a medium
Law of reflection
States that the incident angle will equal the angle of reflection as measured from the normal
Spherical mirrors
Have centers in radio of curvature as well as focal points
Concave mirrors
Are converging systems and can produce real, inverted images or virtual, upright images depending on the placement of the object relative to the focal point
Convex mirrors
Are diverging systems and will only produce virtual, upright images
Plane mirrors
Also produce virtual, upright images, these images are always the same size as the object, they may be thought of as spherical mirrors with an infinite radio of curvature
Refraction
The bending of light as it passes from one medium to another, the speed of light changes depending on the index of refraction of the medium, this speed change is what causes refraction, the amount of refraction depends on the wavelength of the light involved, this behavior causes dispersion of light through a prism
Snell’s law
aka the law of refraction, states that there is an inverse relationship between index of refraction in the sine of the angle of refraction measured from the normal
Total internal reflection
Occurs when light cannot be refracted out of the medium anderson Stead reflected back into the medium, this happens when light moves from a medium with a higher index of refraction to a medium with a lower index of refraction with a high incidence angle
Critical angle
The minimum incident angle at which total internal reflection occurs
Lenses
Refract light to form objects of images
Thin symmetrical lenses
Have focal points on each side
Convex lenses
Are converging systems that can produce real, inverted images or virtual, upright images
Concave lenses
Are diverging systems and will only produce a virtual, upright images
Lensmakers equation
Required with lenses of non-negligible thickness
Converging o>2f
Real, inverted, reduced
Converging o = 2f
Real, inverted, same size
Converging 2f>o>f
Real, inverted, magnified
Converging o=f
No image
Converging o
Virtual, upright, magnified
Diverging systems
Virtual, upright, reduced
Diffraction
The bending in spreading out of light waves as they pass through a narrow slit, may produce a large central light friend surrounded by alternating light and dark fringes with the addition of a lens
Young’s double-slit experiment
What is the constructive and destructive interference of waves that occur as light passes through parallel slits, resulting in minima (dark fringes) and maxima (light fringes) of intensity
Plane polarized light
All of the light rays have electric fields with parallel orientation, created by passing unpolarized light through a polarizer
Circularly polarized light
Well the white race have electric fields with equal intensity but constantly rotating direction, created by exposing unpolarized light to special pigments or filters
Speed of light equation
c = f*lambda
Law of reflection equation
Theta1=Theta2
Optics equation
1/f = 1/o + 1/I = 2/r
Magnification equation
m = -i/o
Index of refraction equation
n =c/v
Snells law equation
n1sin(theta1) = n2sin(theta2)
Critical angle equation
thetac = sin^-1(n2/n1)
Lensmakers equation equation
1/f= (n-1)*(1/r1 - 1/r2)
Power equation
P = 1/f
Focal length of multiple lens system equation
1/f = 1/f1+1/f2+1/f3…
Power of multiple lens system equation
P = P1+P2+P3…
Magnification of multiple lens system
m = m1m2m3…
Position of dark fringes in slit lens setup equation
asin(theta) = n*lambda
Position of dark fringes in double slit setup equation
dsin(theta) = (n+1/2)*lambda
