Optics, Light, and Eye Anatomy

Vocabulary flashcards covering refraction, light dispersion, additive colour mixing, reflection, and the pathway of light through the eye.

Refraction (in glass)

The bending of light that happens because light slows down when it moves from air into the glass.

Dispersion

The splitting of white light into the colours of the spectrum, such as when light passes through a prism.

Violet light (in dispersion)

The colour of visible light that refracts the most when passing through a prism.

Red light (in dispersion)

The colour of visible light that refracts the least when passing through a prism.

Yellow light (colour addition)

The secondary colour of light produced by combining red and green light ($\text{Red} + \text{Green} = \text{Yellow}$).

Magenta light

The secondary colour of light produced by combining red and blue light ($\text{Red} + \text{Blue} = \text{Magenta}$).

Cyan light

The secondary colour of light produced by combining blue and green light ($\text{Blue} + \text{Green} = \text{Cyan}$).

White light (additive mixing)

The light created by combining all three primary light colours together ($\text{Red} + \text{Green} + \text{Blue} = \text{White}$).

Pigment

A substance that absorbs certain wavelengths of light and reflects/bounces others to the human eye (e.g., an apple reflects red light and absorbs other colours).

Optic nerve

The nerve structure that transmits electric signals from the retina into the brain.

Pathway of light through the eye

The sequential order through which light passes into the eye: Cornea $\rightarrow$ Pupil $\rightarrow$ Iris $\rightarrow$ Lens $\rightarrow$ Retina.

Reflection of light

The bouncing of light off an object into the eye, making the object visible.