Wave properties Flashcards
All waves can be…
Reflected, refracted and diffracted
What happens when waves arrive at an obstacle
Their direction of travel can be changed
What does reflection of light do
Allows us to see things
How does reflection of light work
Light bounces off objects into our eyes
What happens when light travelling in the same direction is from an uneven surface
The light reflects at different angles
What happens when light travelling in the same direction is from an even surface
It’s reflected at the same angle and you get a clear reflection
What is the “normal”
An imaginary line perpendicular to the surface at the point of incidence
What is the Law of Reflection
Angle of incidence = Angle of reflection
What are the 4 important points about drawing ray diagrams
1) The image is the same size as the object
2) It is the same distance from the mirror as the object is in front
3) The image is virtual and upright.
4) The image is laterally inverted / sides are swapped
What are the 3 steps to drawing a ray diagram
1) Draw the image first
2) Draw the reflected ray going from the top of the virtual image - the one you have drawn - to the top of the eye
3) Draw the incident ray going from the top of the object to the mirror
How should the line be from the eye to the mirror on a ray diagram
Bold
How should the line be from the mirror to the virtual image on a ray diagram
Dotted/Dashed
