Physics of Reflections and Refractions

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts from the lecture notes on the physics of light, specifically focusing on reflections, refractions, and relevant laws.

Snell's Law

The law that relates the angles of incidence and refraction when a wave passes between two different media.

Index of Refraction

A dimensionless number that describes how fast light travels through a medium compared to how fast it travels through a vacuum.

Critical Angle

The angle of incidence above which total internal reflection occurs.

Total Internal Reflection

The complete reflection of a wave back into a medium when it hits the boundary at an angle greater than the critical angle.

Optical Fiber

A medium made of glass or plastic that transmits light along its length by successive internal reflections.

Perpendicular Polarization

A polarization state where the electric field oscillates perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation.

Parallel Polarization

A polarization state where the electric field oscillates parallel to the direction of wave propagation.

Reflection Coefficient

A measure of how much of an incident wave is reflected back at a boundary.

Transmission Coefficient

A measure of how much of an incident wave passes through a boundary into another medium.

Brewster Angle

The angle of incidence at which light with a particular polarization is perfectly transmitted through a transparent dielectric surface, with no reflection.