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Physics Revision
Topic 5 – Light and the Electromagnetic Spectrum
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Cards (57)
What do arrows in ray diagrams represent?
Direction
of light
travelling
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What is the normal in ray diagrams?
The
normal
is an
imaginary dashed
line that is
perpendicular
to the surface.
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What is the incident angle?
The
angle
of the
entering
ray.
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What is the reflected angle?
The
angle
of the
exiting
ray.
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What is the relationship between incident angle and reflection angle?
Incident
angle
equals reflection
angle.
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How are angles measured in reflection?
Angles
are always
measured
from the
normal.
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What happens to light when it enters a denser material?
It
bends towards
the
normal.
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What happens to light when it enters a less dense material?
It
bends away
from the
normal.
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What is total internal reflection (TIR)?
TIR
occurs when
light
passes from a
denser
medium into a
less
dense medium.
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What happens if the angle of incidence is equal to the critical angle?
The
refracted
ray will pass along the
boundary
and not
exit
the
medium.
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What is the critical angle?
The
unique
angle for each two
media
at which
TIR
occurs.
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What happens for angles larger than the critical angle?
The light internally reflects back into the
denser
medium.
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What are the outcomes when light travels from glass to air based on the angle of incidence?
If angle
LESS
than
critical
angle, light
refracts
away from normal.
If angle
EQUAL
to
critical
angle, light passes along
boundary.
If angle
MORE
than
critical
angle, light
reflects.
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What is specular reflection?
Mirror
reflection following the law of
reflection
for a
smooth
surface.
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What is diffuse reflection?
Light
hitting a
rough surface
is reflected at many
angles.
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What does each color in visible light represent?
Each
color
is a certain
wavelength
in
visible
light.
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What do all colors together make up?
White
light.
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Why do opaque materials appear to have a certain color?
They
reflect
only that
certain color light
and
absorb
all other
colors.
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What happens when light passes through color filters?
All other
colors
are
absorbed
, and only a
certain color
is
allowed
to pass
through.
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What is the focal length of a lens?
The
distance
between the
lens
and the
focal point.
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What is the focal point of a lens?
The
point
where all
horizontal
rays
meet
after passing
through
the
lens.
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How is the power of a lens defined?
Power
of the lens is the
inverse
of the
focal length.
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What is the relationship between focal length and lens power?
Shorter
focal length means
greater
power.
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How does the thickness of a lens affect its focal length and power?
Thicker
lens means
shorter
focal length, so
greater
power.
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What is the shape of concave lenses?
Concave
lenses "cave"
inward
and are
thinner
at the
center
than at the
edges.
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What is the function of concave lenses?
They
spread
light
outwards
and make it appear to come from the
focal
point.
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How are concave lenses used in vision correction?
They are used to correct
short-sightedness
by
spreading out light.
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What is the shape of convex lenses?
Convex
lenses are
fatter
at the
center.
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What is the function of convex lenses?
They focus light
inwards
and are used for
magnifying
glasses and
binoculars.
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How do convex lenses help with long-sightedness?
They
focus
rays
closer
to the eye.
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What is a real image?
A
real
image is produced at the
opposite
side of the
lens
to the
object.
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What is a virtual image?
A virtual image appears to come from the
same side
of the
lens
as the
object.
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When does a virtual
image
occur?
A virtual
image
occurs if the object lies
closer
to the
lens
than the
focal
point.
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What do all electromagnetic waves do?
They
transfer energy
from a
source
to an
observer.
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What type of waves are electromagnetic waves?
They are
transverse
waves.
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How fast do all electromagnetic waves travel in a vacuum?
They all
travel
at the
same speed.
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Do electromagnetic waves need particles to move?
No
, they do
not
need
particles
to
move.
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How do materials interact with electromagnetic waves?
Materials
interact
differently
depending on the
wavelength.
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What can our eyes detect in terms of electromagnetic waves?
Our eyes can only detect
visible light.
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What happens to wavelength and frequency in electromagnetic waves?
As wavelength
decreases
, frequency must
increase.
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