Reflection and Refraction Flashcards

Flashcards about Reflection and Refraction

What type of wave is light?

Transverse wave

What phenomena can light undergo?

Reflection and Refraction

What type of wave is sound?

Longitudinal wave

What phenomena can sound undergo?

Reflection and Refraction

What is the reflection of a sound wave called?

An echo

What is the law of reflection?

Angle of incidence (i) = Angle of reflection (r)

When light travels from a less dense to a more dense medium, how does it bend?

Light bends towards the normal

When light travels from a more dense to a less dense medium, how does it bend?

Light bends away from the normal

What properties of light change during refraction?

Speed and wavelength

What property of light remains constant during refraction?

Frequency

What is the purpose of the ray box in the refraction experiment?

To provide a narrow beam of light

What is the purpose of the protractor in the refraction experiment?

To measure the angles of incidence and refraction

What is Snell's Law?

n = sin i / sin r (where n is the refractive index, i is the angle of incidence, and r is the angle of refraction)

What is the equation for refractive index?

n = speed of light in a vacuum / speed of light in material

What are the two conditions for total internal reflection?

The angle of incidence > the critical angle AND the incident material is denser than the second material

Give an example of use for total internal reflection.

Optical fibres, endoscopes and prisms (e.g. periscopes)

What is the relationship between critical angle and refractive index?

sin c = 1 / n (where c is the critical angle and n is the refractive index)