Understanding Light and its Properties

These flashcards provide a vocabulary-focused review of key concepts related to the nature of light, its properties, and interactions with materials.

Refractive Index

The ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in a medium.

Photon

A particle of light that carries energy.

Wave Equation

Describes the propagation of a wave, often represented by the equation F(r,t) = F₀ sin(kr - ωt + φ).

Frequency

The number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit of time, defining color of light.

Wavelength

The distance between successive crests of a wave, often measured in nanometers for light.

Amplitude

The maximum extent of a wave; related to the intensity or brightness of light.

Polarization

The orientation of the oscillations in a light wave relative to its direction of travel.

Electromagnetic Radiation

A form of energy that propagates through space consisting of oscillating electric and magnetic fields.

Snell's Law

A formula used to describe the relationship between the angles of incidence and refraction when light passes between different media.

Total Internal Reflection

The complete reflection of light back into a medium when it hits the boundary at an angle greater than the critical angle.

Critical Angle

The minimum angle of incidence at which total internal reflection occurs.

Becke Line

A bright line observed at the boundary between materials with different refractive indices.

Angle of Incidence

The angle between the incident ray and the normal to the surface at the point of incidence.

Angle of Reflection

The angle between the reflected ray and the normal to the surface at the point of reflection.

Medium

Any substance through which light travels, affecting its speed and direction.

Reflected Ray

The ray that bounces off a reflective surface.

Refracted Ray

The ray that has been transmitted through a medium and bent as it passes through.

Normal Line

An imaginary line perpendicular to the surface at the point of incidence.

Index of Refraction

A measure of how much the speed of light is reduced inside a medium compared to a vacuum.

Light Speed in Vacuum (c)

Approximately 3 x 10^8 m/s, the maximum speed of light in a vacuum.

Light Speed in Medium (v)

The speed of light when it passes through a medium, usually less than in vacuum.

Angular Frequency

The rate of change of the phase of a sinusoidal waveform, represented in radians per second.

Electromagnetic Pulsation

A wave of oscillating electric and magnetic fields propagating through space.

Phase

The position of a point in time on a waveform cycle.

Angular Wavenumber

The spatial frequency of a wave, proportional to the number of wavelengths per unit distance.

Reflection Law

Refers to the principle that the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.

Light Propagation

The movement of light waves through different media.

Light Emission

The process of light being produced, often when electrons fall to lower energy states.

Rarity of Medium

The quality of a medium in terms of its density compared to others, affecting light propagation.

Density

The mass per unit volume of a substance, which can affect its refractive index.

Optical Properties

Characteristics of materials that define their interaction with light.

Huygens' Principle

The principle that each point on a wave front can be considered a source of new waves.

Transparent

A property of a material that allows light to pass through with little scattering.

Translucent

A property of a material that allows some light to pass through but scatters it.

Opaque

A property of a material that does not allow light to pass through.

Dispersion

The process by which light separates into its constituent colors.

Interference

The phenomenon that occurs when two waves meet and combine to form a new wave.

Diffraction

The bending of light waves around obstacles and openings.

Frequency-Wavelength Relationship

Describes that the frequency of light is inversely proportional to its wavelength.

Light Interaction with Matter

Refers to how light is absorbed, transmitted, or reflected by different materials.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

The range of all types of electromagnetic radiation.