Optics Experiments Vocabulary

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from physics lecture notes on optics experiments.

Travelling Microscope

Instrument used to precisely measure lengths; used in refractive index experiment.

Refraction

The bending of light as it passes from one transparent substance into another.

Refractive Index

The ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum vs the speed of light through another medium.

Critical Angle

Angle of incidence where the angle of refraction is 90 degrees.

Collimator

Device that produces a parallel beam of light, essential for spectrometer tests.

Spectrometer

An optical instrument that consists of a telescope, collimator, and prism table used to measure angles of light.

Angle of Minimum Deviation (D)

The angle of deviation where the angle is at its minimum value.

Deviation

The effect or phenomenon of light, radio waves, etc., being deflected in passing obliquely through the interface between one medium and another or through a medium of varying density.

No-Parallax Method

The point where the image of the object appears to be in the same position as the reference pin, eliminating relative motion.

Convex Lens

A lens that converges rays of light that are traveling parallel to its principal axis.

Concave Lens

A lens that diverges rays of light that are traveling parallel to its principal axis.

Object Distance (u)

Distance from the lens to the object.

Image Distance (v)

Distance from the lens to the image.

Focal Length (f)

Distance from the lens to the focal point.