Electromagnetic Waves and Light Behavior

These flashcards cover key concepts related to electromagnetic waves, light behavior, polarization, and optics.

What is an electromagnetic wave?

A wave consisting of oscillating electric and magnetic fields that travel through space.

Who predicted electromagnetic waves?

James Clerk Maxwell.

What does Gauss's Law for Electricity state?

Electric field lines originate from positive charges and end on negative charges.

What does Faraday’s Law of Induction describe?

A changing magnetic field produces an induced electric field (emf).

What is the speed of electromagnetic waves?

It is equal to the speed of light, which is 3.00 imes 10^8 ext{ m/s}.

What does the resonance phenomenon entail?

A system with the same natural frequency as the electromagnetic wave can oscillate.

Define polarization in terms of electromagnetic waves.

The attribute that a wave's oscillations have a definite direction relative to the direction of propagation.

What is Malus's Law?

It states that the intensity of polarized light after passing through a polarizing filter is proportional to the cosine squared of the angle between the light’s polarization direction and the filter’s axis.

What defines critical angle in optics?

The incident angle that produces an angle of refraction of 90°.

How is total internal reflection defined?

Occurs when the incident angle is greater than the critical angle, causing all light to be reflected back into the medium.

What is the formula for the wave equation?

v = fλ where v is wave speed, f is frequency, and λ is wavelength.

What is a real image?

An image formed when light rays actually cross at the location of the image and can be projected.

What is Young's Double Slit Experiment known for?

It demonstrated the wave nature of light by producing an interference pattern.

What does the term 'interference' refer to in wave behavior?

The combination of waves producing bright and dark patterns.

What happens during constructive interference?

Waves are in phase, producing bright regions.

How do colors appear in thin film interference?

Colors are produced because different wavelengths interfere differently depending on film thickness.