Studied by 3 people
define amplitude
the maximum displacement of a vibrating particle or wave from its equilibrium/ undisturbed position
define wavelength
the distance between two identical points on a wave
define frequency
the number of complete oscillations of a wave per second
define a period
the time taken for a wave to complete one full cycle
what is displacement?
the distance and direction that a wave has travelled from its equilibrium position
what is phase?
measures how far a wave is into its cycle in radians or degrees
what is phase difference?
the difference in phase of two waves at a single point in time
what is path difference?
the length travelled by each of two waves that start at different points and arrive at the same point
what is superposition?
superposition is a result of constructive interference when two waves are completely in phase - their displacements will combine.
what does it mean when two waves are in phase?
their phase difference is 0radians or 0° or a multiple of 360°
what does it mean when two waves are completely anti phase?
their phase difference is 180° or pi radians
what is constructive interference?
when two waves that are in phase meet
what is destructive interference?
when two waves in anti phase meet. when one is at peak and the other is at trough, their addition results in a minimum point.
what is refraction?
when a wave crosses the boundary from one medium to another and changes speed and direction, either towards or away from the normal
what is reflection?
the bouncing of a wave off of a surface, with the angle of incidence equal to the angle of reflection
what is diffraction?
the spreading of waves when they pass through a gap or around an obstacle
what is the angle of refraction?
the angle between a refracted ray and the normal
what is the angle of reflection?
the angle between a reflected ray and the normal drawn at the point of incidence to a reflecting surface
how does the size of the gap affect diffraction?
maximum diffraction occurs when the gap size is similar to the wavelength of the wave
what type of waves are electromagnetic waves?
transverse waves
list the electromagnetic spectrum in ascending order of frequency
radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, x-rays, gamma rays
What is the particle model of light?
The particle model of light, also known as photon theory, states that light consists of discrete packets of energy called photons.
What is photon energy?
The energy of a photon is directly proportional to its frequency, given by the equation E = hf, where E is energy, h is Planck's constant, and f is frequency.
What is the photoelectric effect?
The photoelectric effect is the emission of electrons from a material when it absorbs light of sufficient frequency.
What is threshold frequency?
The threshold frequency is the minimum frequency of light required to emit electrons from a material in the photoelectric effect.
What is wave-particle duality?
Wave-particle duality is the concept that particles such as electrons exhibit both wave-like and particle-like properties depending on the experiment conducted.
What are standing waves?
Standing waves are stationary wave patterns formed by the constructive and destructive interference of two traveling waves moving in opposite directions.
What is the De Broglie wavelength?
The De Broglie wavelength is the wavelength associated with a moving particle and is given by λ = h/p, where h is Planck's constant and p is momentum.
What is diffraction grating?
A diffraction grating is an optical component with a regular pattern that disperses light into its component wavelengths through diffraction.
What is a lens?
A lens is a transparent optical component that refracts light rays to converge or diverge them to form images.
What are the two main types of lenses?
The two main types of lenses are convex (converging) lenses and concave (diverging) lenses.
What is the focal point of a lens?
The focal point is the point at which parallel rays of light either converge or appear to diverge after passing through a lens.
What is the focal length?
The focal length is the distance from the lens to the focal point, in cm or m
What does a convex lens do to light rays?
A convex lens causes parallel rays of light to converge at a focal point.
What does a concave lens do to light rays?
A concave lens causes parallel rays of light to diverge, appearing to originate from a focal point behind the lens.
What is a ray diagram?
A ray diagram is a graphic representation used to show the path of light rays through a lens or optical system.
What are the principal axes in a ray diagram?
The principal axes are the straight lines that pass through the center of a lens and are perpendicular to its surfaces.
What is the use of the object distance in lens equations?
The object distance is the distance from the object to the lens and is used in calculations to determine image distance and magnification.
What is the lens formula?
The lens formula is 1/f = 1/v - 1/u, where f is the focal length, v is the image distance, and u is the object distance.
What is magnification?
Magnification is the ratio of the height of the image to the height of the object, also equal to the negative ratio of image distance to object distance.
What type of image does a convex lens form when the object is beyond the focal point?
A convex lens forms a real and inverted image when the object is beyond the focal point.
What type of image does a concave lens create?
A concave lens creates a virtual image that is upright and diminished for all object distances.
What is refraction?
Refraction is the bending of light rays as they pass from one medium to another, changing speed and direction.
What is total internal reflection?
Total internal reflection occurs when light strikes the boundary of a medium at a greater angle than the critical angle, causing the light to be completely reflected back into the medium.
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