Waves, Rectilinear, Interference/Diffraction/Polarization

A theory that also suggests that velocity of light in rarer medium is greater than in denser medium. It also explains the interference, diffraction, and colors in thin films. And affirmed by Foucault in 1850

Huygen’s wave theory

A disturbance in a medium that carries energy without a net movement of particles

Wave

A transverse wave, characterized by alternating electric and magnetic fields propagating perpendicular to the direction of the wave

Light

A type of wave in which the displacement of the particle is parallel to the motion of the wave e.g.: sound waves, ultrasound waves, seismic p-waves

Longitudinal wave

A type of wave in which the displacement of the particle is perpendicular to the motion of the wave. e.g.: ripples on water, seismic s-waves, electromagnetic waves

Transverse wave

A type of transverse wave where it starts at a point and travel at an infinite distance in which the points maximum and zero displacement vary from instant to instant. There is wave propagation

Travelling wave

A type of transverse wave where it is resulted from the interference of waves reflected back and forth between two fixed barriers. There is no wave propagation

Standing wave

An upward motion of the wave

Crest

A downward motion of the wave

Trough

The distance from the equilibrium position and it could be positive and negative

Displacement

The maximum displacement of the particles within the wave from their normal equilibrium positions

Amplitude

In the longitudinal wave, areas of maximum displacement are known as 

Compressions and rarefactions

The distance traveled by light as it goes through one complete vibration, i.e. distance between two successive crests or two successive troughs

Wavelength

Tenth-billionth part of a meter

Angstrom

One-billionth part of a meter

Nanometer

One-millionth part of a meter

Micrometer

The completion of the regular periodic event of a wave

Cycle

The time required by the wave to complete one cycle of one vibration

Period

The number of complete waves generated by the source in one second (hertz)

Frequency

The rate or speed at which the wave travels in a given period of time

Velocity

Wavelength and Frequency are inversely proportional

True

When light passes from one optical medium to another, the velocity and the wavelength will change but the frequency remains the same

True

It is a dark image formed by intercepting light rays

Shadow

“In a homogenous and isotropic medium, light travels in a straight line”

Isaac Newton

It is blocked by an opaque object will produce a shadow known as Umbra (absolute geometric shadow)

Point source

It is blocked by an opaque object will produce a shadow with 2 regions

Extended source

A Latin word which means “shade” of the shadow with sharp boarder, the inner part of the shadow which is completely dark

Umbra

It is derived from the Latin word “paene” which means “nearly”, it is the outer region of partial darkness around the umbra

Penumbra

An annular eclipse where the region that begins past the end of the umbra cone.

Antumbra

The uniform central region of illumination

Full Illumination

The outer annular region of illumination with partial darkness

Partial Illumination

Shadow formed will be the same shape as the aperture

True

A natural phenomenon that further demonstrates the Law of Rectilinear Propagation of Light

Eclipse

The earth moves between the sun and the moon, blocking sun’s light

Lunar Eclipse

It happens when the moon is between the earth and the sun; the moon’s shadow covers part of the earth

Solar Eclipse

Type of solar eclipse when the moon passes between the sun and earth but the alignment is not perfect and leaving a crescent shaped Sun

Partial Solar Eclipse

Type of solar eclipse when the moon located in the middle of the sun, and it doesn’t completely cover the entire disk of the sun. This results in a thin ring of sunlight that is visible around the outside of the moon

Annular Solar Eclipse

Type of solar eclipse when the moon completely blocks the sun, creating a shadow on the earth’s surface. This results a visible halo around the dark moon in front of the sun

Total Solar Eclipse

It is the simplest type of camera which doesn’t use a lens to form the image of an object; it consists of a light-tight box of adjustable length and dark interior, also known as Camera Obscura

Pinhole Camera

Arab physicist who first described the camera obscura effect

Alhazen

He is the first to be able to manipulate the image by fitting the pinhole camera with convex lenses and mirrors, i.e. concave mirror would enable the device to reflect an image right side up

Giovanni Battista della Porta

It is used to solve problems involving rectilinear propagation of light, they are pair of triangles which share a common apex/angle; wherein their side lengths are congruent

Similar Triangles

The path of a single photon or particle of light

Light Ray

Light rays are spread apart as if originating from a point

Divergent Pencil

Light rays come together to meet at a single point

Convergent Pencil

Light rays never meet

Parallel Pencil

Collections of different pencils of light arising from an extended source

Beam of Light

The reciprocal of the distance from the point in question to the source or focus. General term by which convergence or divergence of light may be expressed

Vergence

Type of Lunar Eclipse when entire moon passes through full shadow

Total Lunar Eclipse

Type of Lunar Eclipse where some part of the moon passes through full shadow

Partial Lunar Eclipse

Type of Lunar Eclipse when moon passes only through partial shadow

Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

A phenomenon which occurs when two waves meet, collide, or intersect while traveling along the same medium. It is interaction of waves at point of crossing

Wave Interference

Type of interference where the crest of one wave meets the crest of a wave, they will interfere in such a manner as to produce a “super-crest”, or “super trough” when trough interfere to one another. The wave are IN PHASE

Constructive Interference

Type of interference of a crest with trough and has the tendency to decrease resulting amount of displacement of the medium. The waves are OUT OF PHASE

Destructive Interference

When two waves interfere, the resulting displacement of the medium at any locations is the algebraic sum of the displacements of the individual waves at the same location

Superposition Principle

Who proposed the Superposition Principle?

Thomas Young 1801

When both constructive and destructive patterns occur, it is called ____

Rouge waves

Two waves sets merging together result in combined wave heights

Constructive Interference

Two waves sets off phase result in cancelling out wave heights

Destructive Interference

When you see colors, colors in soap bubbles, colors produced by anti-reflective coatings of lenses are the evidences of the type of ______

Constructive Interference

The apparent bending of waves around small obstacles and the spreading out of waves past small openings

Diffraction

A bright region in the center, together with a series of concentric rings of decreasing intensity around it and it is discovered by George Airy

Airy Disk

Hologram on credit card, rainbow pattern on CD or DVD is an example of _____

Diffraction

An optical component with a regular pattern which splits light into several beams traveling in different directions. The directions of these beams depend on the spacing of the grating and the wavelength of the light so that the grating acts as a dispersive element. They are commonly used in monochromator and spectrometers

Diffraction Grating

The process of transforming unpolarized light into polarized light

Polarization

It is the type of polarization where the light wave that is vibrating in more than one plane

Unpolarized Light

It is the type of polarization where the light wave in which the vibrations occur in a single plane

Polarized Light

The 4 methods of polarization (TRRS)

Transmission, reflection, refraction, scattering

One of the method in polarization where the polaroid filter is used in which it is capable of blocking one of the two planes of vibration of an electromagnetic wave

Transmission

One of the method in polarization when a beam of ordinary light is reflected from the surface of transparent medium like glass or water. The degree of polarization varies with angle of incidence

Reflection

One of the method in polarization when the path of the beam changes its direction.

Refraction

One of the method in polarization when the light is seen in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the incidence, it is found to be plane polarized.

Scattering