Optics, Vision, and Light Production

A collection of vocabulary flashcards covering mirror types, eye anatomy and colour vision, light generation mechanisms, light behaviors, material classifications, and reflection ray models based on the lecture notes.

Concave mirror

A mirror that caves inwards like the inside of a spoon, causing light to bounce inwards and making objects appear bigger or smaller.

Convex mirror

A mirror that bulges outwards like the back of a spoon, making objects look smaller and upright.

Cones and rods

Light-sensitive cells located within the eyes.

Cones

Light-sensitive cells in the eyes responsible for colour vision, divided into three types: red, green, and blue.

Red cones

Cone cells that detect long wavelengths of visible light.

Green cones

Cone cells that detect medium wavelengths of visible light.

Blue cones

Cone cells that detect short wavelengths of visible light.

Protomanly

A type of anomalous trichromacy characterized by a reduced sensitivity to red light.

Deuteranomaly

A type of anomalous trichromacy characterized by a reduced sensitivity to green light.

Tritamomaly

A type of anomalous trichromacy characterized by a reduced sensitivity to blue light.

Dichromacy

A condition in which an individual is completely unable to perceive the selected light across cone types.

Incandescence

Light produced from heat, such as that from a stove.

Electric discharge

Light produced from electricity passing through gas, such as lightning.

Phosphorescence

Light emitted in the dark that continues glowing after the light source is turned off until it dies out.

Fluorescence

Light that glows only while light is actively shining on the material, such as a glow-in-the-dark highlighter.

Chemiluminescence

Light generated when a chemical reaction takes place, such as inside a glowstick.

Bioluminescence

Light produced by living organisms, such as a firefly glowing at night.

Triboluminescence

Light produced by rubbing or friction, such as crushing sugar crystals in the dark.

LED

Light produced from a special electronic material.

Absorb

When an object takes in light rather than transmitting or reflecting it, such as wearing black outside in sunlight.

Reflected

When light bounces off of an object or surface, such as a mirror.

Transmitted

When light passes directly through an object or surface, such as a window.

Refracted

When light changes direction upon entering a different material, making objects appear bent, such as a straw in water.

Opaque

A type of material that light cannot pass through, causing the light to be absorbed or reflected.

Transluscent

A type of material through which some light passes, but the light gets distorted.

Transparent

A type of material you can clearly see through, allowing light to pass through without getting disoriented, such as clean glass.

Incident ray

The incoming ray of light travelling toward a surface.

Reflected ray

The ray of light that bounces out from a reflective surface.

Normal

An imaginary line perpendicular to the mirror surface, positioned at a $90^\text{o}$ angle.

Angle of incidence

The angle going in, formed between the incoming incident ray and the normal line.

Angle of reflection

The angle going out, formed between the reflected ray and the normal line.