Light and Reflection Concepts

These flashcards cover key concepts related to light and reflection, incorporating essential definitions and relationships within the subject.

What portion of the electromagnetic spectrum is used in a microscope?

Visible light.

In a vacuum, how do short wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation travel compared to long wavelengths?

They travel as fast as radiation of long wavelengths.

When red light is compared with violet light, what can be said about their speed?

Both travel at the same speed.

What can be determined if the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation is known?

Its frequency, because all wavelengths travel at the same speed.

What type of surface does a highly polished finish provide for reflection?

A smooth surface for specular reflection.

If a light ray strikes a flat mirror at 27° from the normal, at what angle will the reflected ray be?

27° from the normal.

What is the size relationship of an image in a flat mirror compared to the object?

The same size as the object.

If you stand 3.0 m in front of a flat mirror, how far away would your image be in the mirror?

3.0 m.

How is the image produced by a flat mirror described?

Virtual, upright, and magnification equal to one.

What phenomenon causes a pencil placed in water to appear bent?

Refraction.

What does refraction refer to in wave behavior?

The bending of a wave disturbance as it passes from one medium into another.

What happens to light when it passes from a faster medium to a slower medium at an angle?

It is bent toward the normal to the surface.

What are electromagnetic waves classified as?

Transverse waves.

Can electromagnetic waves travel through a vacuum?

Yes, they can travel through a vacuum.

Which electromagnetic waves have the shortest wavelength?

X-rays.

Compared to ultraviolet waves, how does the wavelength of infrared waves compare?

Infrared waves have a longer wavelength.

What is the main difference between a radio wave and a light wave?

Wavelength.

How does the speed of light in water compare to its speed in air?

The speed of light in water is slower.

What corresponds to different colors of light?

Frequencies.

When blue and yellow paints are mixed together, what color results?

Green.

How is the color of an opaque object determined?

By the light that is reflected.

Why is the sky blue?

Because air molecules scatter blue light.

What causes refraction to occur?

When a wave changes speed.

What instrument is the human eye most similar to?

Camera.

What is the orientation of the image formed inside your eye?

Upside down.

Light wave

A transverse, electromagnetic wave that is non-mechanical (doesn't require particles in the medium to vibrate).

Electromagnetic waves

An electromagnetic wave has oscillating electric and magnetic fields that oscillate perpendicular to each other. Categories include radio waves, microwaves, infrared (heat), visible light, ultraviolet, and X-ray.

Speed of light

Approximately 300 million meters per second in a vacuum.

Sources of visible light

The sun, burning objects, heated metal (old fashioned light bulbs), ionized gases.

Intensity of a light wave

Corresponds to the amplitude of the wave.

Reflection

The bouncing of light off a surface that is not absorbed or transmitted. Specular reflection occurs on very smooth surfaces, while diffuse reflection occurs on rough surfaces.

Law of Reflection

States that the incident ray and the reflected ray have the same angle (45 degrees) with the surface normal.

Incident ray

The incoming light ray that strikes a surface.

Reflected ray

The ray that is reflected back from the surface.

Index of refraction

Symbolized with a 'n', it measures how much light slows down in different media. Air has an index of refraction of 1.00, and glass has an index of refraction of 1.5.

Rainbows

Formed by sunlight refracting through water droplets in the atmosphere, bending and separating different frequencies of light (colors).

Diamonds sparkle

Due to a high index of refraction, light transmitted is highly bent and separated into different colors.

Lens

Shaped glass that produces bend and focuses light, used in telescopes, microscopes, cameras, human eyes, etc.

Converging lens

A convex lens that focuses light, producing real and inverted images when the object is further than the focal point, and virtual and upright images when the object is closer than the focal point.

Virtual image

An image formed by light rays that appear to converge at a point.

Real image

An image formed by light rays that actually converge at a point in space.