Waves 2 * Flashcards
What is the normal?
a line perpendicular to the surface of an object (e.g. mirror or glass block)
drawn as a dotted line
Where are angles measured between?
measured between the normal and the light ray
What is the law of reflection?
the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection
What is specular reflection?
light reflected from a smooth surface at a definite angle
What is diffuse reflection?
reflection produced by rough surfaces that tend to reflect light in all directions
What three things can happen when waves arrive at the boundary of two different materials?
- absorption
- reflection
- transmission
Which material absorbs the wave?
Which store is the energy transferred to?
waves may be absorbed by the second material
often the energy is transferred to a thermal energy store
What is reflection?
waves may bounce back (from the second material)
What is transmission?
waves may carry on travelling through the new material and often undergo refraction
Which two factors depend on what happens to the wave when it reaches a boundary?
its wavelength
the properties of the materials involved
What is refraction?
a wave can change direction when it meets a boundary between two objects
What is TIR?
Total Internal Reflection
when a wave is travelling into a less dense material, the ray can be refracted back into the first material instead of being transmitted into the new material
What is the critical angle?
When the angle of incidence increases and the refracted ray travels along the boundary, the angle of incidence is called the critical angle
When does TIR occur? (2 points)
when light is travelling from a more dense material into a less dense material (e.g. glass to air)
when the angle of incidence is greater than the critical angle
What shape is a convex lens?
oval shaped
What shape is a concave lens?
thinner in the middle, thicker at the top and bottom
What is the focal length?
the distance between the middle of the lens and the focal point
What is the focal point?
where the light rays are focused/meet
Fill the gaps:
- the more powerful a lens is, the ____ the light will be _________ and the _______ the focal length will be
- the more curved a lens is the ____ ________ it is
- the more powerful a lens is, the more the light will be refracted and the shorter the focal length will be
- the more curved a lens is the more powerful it is
Give three points about a real image
- formed when light passes through a lens and comes together to form an image
- the light has formed an image and it can be projected onto a screen
- e.g.s projector image on the retina