Refraction Flashcards
What is the definition of refraction?
Where a light enters a more dense material such as water or plastic, slows down and changes direction
What is dispersion?
Splitting of light / spectrum
What happens when light travels through a prism block and what is the term for it?
The light is refracted at different amounts and creates a rainbow, this is called dispersion
What are the colours of the rainbow (dispersion)
Red
Orange
Yellow
Green
Blue
Indigo
Violet
What happens if the angle of incidence is 0°?
The angle of refraction will be the same (straight)
What happens when a block has parallel sides?
The incidence and emergent ray are parallel (lateral displacement)
What is total internal reflection?
- A light beam travells through a more dense material and reaches the boundary of one that’s less dense
- Bends away from normal as it emerges
What is a critical angle?
When an angle of incidence is big enough the ray of light is bent by 90°
What happens if the angle of incidence is bigger than the critical angle?
The ray of light is towards internal reflection
What are optical fibres made from?
Perspex or glass
What are examples of optical fibres?
Internet cables or medical cameras
What are things that use lenses?
Contacts, cameras, eyes, glasses
What is a convex lens?
Thicker in the middle
What is a concave lens?
Thinner in the middle
What is a convex lens represented as?
An as arrow facing outwards
