Week 9 Flashcards
(40 cards)
Light is an electromagnetic wave (EM) (meaning)
light is self-propagating combination of oscillating electric and magnetic fields
The speed of light (or any electromagnetic wave) for observers:
It is the same for all observers, regardless of their direction or speed.
Visible light lies on the spectrum
between about 380 nm and 750 nm
refraction -
phenomenon of when a ray of light is transmitted obliquely through the boundary between two materials of unlike index of refraction, the ray bends
absolute index of refraction of a material:
n = speed of light in vacuum / speed of light in the meterial = c/v
For any two material, the relative index of refraction of material 1 with respect to material 2 is:
relative index = n1/n2,
n - the absolute refractive indices of the two materials
If n2 > n1, the ray bends
toward the normal
If n2 < n1, the ray bends
away from the normal
if n2 = n1, refraction
does not bend the light beam
Snell’s Law:
The way in which a ray refracts at an interface between materials with indices of refraction ni and nr
ni x sinΘi = nr x sinΘr
reflection -
when light hits the surface of almost any material, some of that light ‘bounces back’ off the surface
law of reflection:
reflected light leaves the surface at the same angle that the incident light falls on it
Specular reflection -
happens when light hits a very flat, reflective surface, such as a mirror => all light coming from a single direction is reflected in a single direction.
diffuse reflection
when the surface is rough, the light is reflected in a wide range of directions
Converging or positive lenses:
- thicker at the center than at the rim
- converge a beam of parallel light to a real focus
Diverging or negative lenses
- thinner at the center than at the rim.
- diverge a beam of parallel light from a virtual focus
Converging lenses form
inverted real images of objects located outside the principal focus
Diverging lenses produce
only virtual, erect and smaller images of real objects
Within the eye the cornea and crystalline lens are what kind of lenses?
positive lenses, because they need to form a real image on the retina.
radius of curvature, r, is positive when
its center of curvature lies to the right of the surface
radius of curvature, r, is negative when
its center of curvature lies to the left of the surface
for positive focal lengths, lenses can be:
biconvex, planoconvex (one side flat) or positive
meniscus
for negative focal lengths, lenses can be:
biconcave, planoconcave (one side flat), or negative meniscus
isolated cornea is what type of lens?
negative meniscus lens