Final Revision on Light and Waves

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts in light and wave phenomena for exam preparation.

Reflection

The change in direction of a light ray upon hitting a surface.

Image Formation

The process of creating an image through reflection or refraction of light.

Refraction

The bending of a light ray when it passes from one medium to another with different densities.

Refractive Index

The constant ability of a medium to bend a light ray according to its density.

Critical Angle (C)

The angle of incidence in a more dense medium that corresponds to an angle of refraction of 90°.

Total Internal Reflection

The phenomenon when a light ray hits the boundary of a medium at an angle greater than the critical angle and is reflected back into the medium.

Monochromatic Light

Light that consists of only one color or wavelength.

Converging Lens

A lens that focuses parallel rays of light to a single point.

Diverging Lens (Concave Lens)

A lens that spreads light rays outwards rather than converging them.

Wave

A disturbance that transfers energy through a medium without transferring matter.

Longitudinal Wave

A wave in which particles of the medium move parallel to the direction of the wave's travel.

Transverse Wave

A wave in which particles of the medium move perpendicular to the direction of the wave's travel.

Sound

A mechanical wave that requires a medium to propagate, characterized by compressions and rarefactions.

Speed of Sound

The velocity at which sound waves travel through different media, varying in air (320-360 m/s), liquid (1000-2000 m/s), and solid (3000-6000 m/s).

Analog Signal

A continuous signal that represents physical measurements.

Digital Signal

A discrete signal representing data as sequences of binary (0s and 1s).

Dispersion

The process of separating light into its component colors, typically through a prism.