Module 12 Light

Opaque

materials that only absorb and reflect light, no light passes through

Translucent

materials that transmit light but also scatter it, you cannot clearly see through

Transparent

materials that transmit light without scattering it, can see through clearly

Law of Reflection

the angle at which light strikes a surface is equal to the angle of reflection

Index of Refraction

property of a material that indicates how much the speed of light in the material is reduced compared to the speed of light in a vacuum

Mirage

an image of a distant object produced by the refraction of light through air layers of different densities

filter

a transparent material that selectively transmits light

pigment

a colored material used to change the color of other substances

incandescent light

light generated by heating a piece of metal until it glows

fluorescent light

light generated by using phosphors to convert ultraviolet radiation to visible light

coherent light

light of only one wavelength that travels in one direction with a constant distance between the corresponding crests of the wave

linearly polarized light

light with a magnetic field that vibrates in only one direction

holography

a technique that produces a hologram, or a three-dimensional photographic image of an object

total internal reflection

the complete reflection of light at the boundary between two different materials

optical scanner

a device that reads the intensities of reflected light and converts the information to digital signals