Refraction Phenomenas Flashcards
What is apparent depth?
When light refracts in a transparent medium creating a depth that an object appears to be at
How does apparent depth occur?
Our brains think light travel in straight lines, so it traces back the light rays to see a virtual image.
What is a flattened sun?
When light is refracted in the Earth’s atmosphere that makes the sun look flattened.
How does a flattened sun occur?
The light refracts more at the bottom of the sun than at the top because of the different densities of air, and when our brains trace the image back, the virtual image looks flattened.
What is a mirage?
When light refracts and total internal reflection occurs in the Earth’s atmosphere that creates a virtual image.
How does a mirage occur?
Light rays travel from air of different temperatures, they bend so far from the normal that internal reflection occurs and then the light refracts towards the normal and into our eyes. We trace the light to see a virtual image.
What is shimmering?
When light travels through air of different temperatures and light refracts (similar to mirage).
How does shimmering occur?
Light refracts and then total internal reflection occurs causes the light to bend and create virtual images of the moon on the surface of water.
What is a rainbow?
When white light refracts and totally internally reflects in water droplets.
How does a rainbow occur?
White light is reflected and then totally internally reflected, causing the coloured light rays to disperse into our eyes.
What is a sun/moon dog?
When light refracts through ice crystals in the Earth’s atmosphere that can create halos around the sun or focused balls of light beside the sun.
How does a sun/moon dog occur?
When flat hexagonal ice crystals gather near the horizon, light is refracted to focus on a point, which creates sun/moon dogs.
What is a green flash?
A green flash is when white light refracts through different temperatures of air that causes the coloured light to disperse. A mirage allows us to see these flashes.
How does a green flash occur?
Different coloured light travels at slightly different speeds (because of wavelength), which causes red light to travel faster below the horizon. The violet and blue light (the slowest) get scattered into the atmosphere, leaving the green light to be visible.
