Theory of Light Flashcards
refer more broadly to electromagnetic radiation of
any wavelength, whether visible or not
Light
Speed of light (electromagnetic energy) in a
vacuum
3.00 x 10^8 m/s
The distance between two
crests; λ
Wavelength
Number of crests/troughs that
pass a given point within one second;
expressed as Hertz (Hz);
Frequency
The amount of kinetic energy
Energy (eV)
- Light rays are parallel to wave
normal - Shows same velocity of light
in all directions - Bonds are the same in all
directions
Isotropic materials
- Light rays are not parallel to
wave normal - Shows different velocity of light
in all directions - Bonds are not the same in all
directions
Anisotropic materials
The distance that one wave lags
behind the other (measured in nm)
Retardation
Consists of
just one wavelength
Monochromatic light:
Several
wavelengths, but perceived as one
color
Polychromatic light
The measure of the
amount of light that
can successfully pass
through a medium
Transmission
The measure of the
amount of light energy that
materials can absorb,
reflect, and scatter
Transmittance
when incident
light (incoming
light) hits an
object and
bounces off
Reflection
occurs when
photons from
incident light
hit atoms and
molecules and
cause them to
vibrate
Absorption
the bending
and
spreading of
waves
around an
obstacle
Diffraction
occurs when
light bounces
off an object
in a variety of
directions
Scattering
light waves change
direction as they
pass from one
medium to another
Refraction
depicts the limiting
of the direction of
their oscillations
Polarization
a measure of how effective a material is in bending light coming from a vacuum
Index of
refraction
True or False: All crystalline materials are birefringent
False
