Reflection + Refraction

• What is the focus of today's video?

  Reflection of waves off a boundary
• What are the two types of reflection discussed?

  Specular and diffuse reflection
• What is the phenomenon when light waves change direction as they pass from one medium to another?

  Refraction
• What happens to light waves when they travel from air into glass?

  They slow down and change direction
• What do you need to know to understand refraction?

  Waves travel at different speeds in materials
• Why do waves travel at different speeds in different mediums?

  Different mediums have different densities
• How does the density of a material affect wave speed?

  The higher the density, the slower the wave travels
• What happens to a wave when it travels from a less dense medium to a more dense medium?

  It slows down and bends towards the normal
• What is the normal line in the context of refraction?

  A dashed line perpendicular to the surface
• What occurs when a wave hits the boundary at an angle?

  It is refracted and changes direction
• What do we call the ray that enters a more dense medium?

  Incident ray
• How do you draw a ray diagram for refraction?

  Draw the normal and indicate ray direction
• What happens to the ray when it enters a more dense medium?

  It bends towards the normal
• What is the emergent ray?

  The ray that exits the medium
• What must be added to a ray diagram to complete it?

  Angles of incidence and refraction
• What does the wave speed equation state?

  Wave speed equals frequency times wavelength
• What remains constant when a wave passes from one medium to another?

  The frequency of the wave
• What happens to the wavelength when the speed of a wave increases?

  The wavelength must increase as well
• How do different wavelengths of light behave when passing through a prism?

  They are refracted by different amounts
• What is the process of light refraction through a triangular prism?

  1. White light enters the prism.
  2. Different wavelengths bend at different angles.
  3. Colors spread out, forming a rainbow.
• What is the result of passing white light through a triangular prism?

  It spreads out into a rainbow