Reflection and refraction Flashcards
What does refract mean?
refract means when something changes direction when it comes to different densities. If a wave meets a different medium at an angle, it will change its direction.
What does reflect mean?
Reflecting is when for example you can sometimes see your refection in a puddle: the light is reflected off of the puddle and into your eyes. with waves, this is when a wave hits a boundary between one medium and another when it’s energy is reflected.
Describe how to draw a normal line.
The normal is drawn at a 90 degrees line to the object.
Why does a light ray change direction?
A light ray would change direction because when the light passes from two different mediums (for example: from low density to a high medium), the light ray will slow down. This causes the light ray to bend toward the normal. If the light ray travels from a denser medium to a less dense medium, it will bend away from the normal.
How does density affect the speed of a beam of light?
Density affects the speed of the light ray because light waves move much slower through denser mediums and faster through less dense mediums.
Describe how you can tell if an image is real.
You can tell if an image is real because you can put a real image on a screen.
What type of images can’t be shown on screens?
Virtual images:
Your reflection
An image through a magnifying glass.
