Light and Optics Vocab

Question 1

Angle of Incidence

Answer 1

The angle between the incident ray and the normal

Question 2

Angle of reflection

Answer 2

Angle between the normal and the refllected ray

Question 3

Angle of refraction

Answer 3

the angle between the refracted ray and the normal

Question 4

Concave

Answer 4

curving inwards

Question 5

Convex

Answer 5

curving outwards

Question 6

Cones

Answer 6

a cone-shaped cell in the retina that detects color

Question 7

Incident ray

Answer 7

the light that strikes a reflecting/refracting material

Question 8

Iris

Answer 8

Coloured ring in the eye that works like a diaphragm in a camera

Question 9

Iris reflex

Answer 9

when the pupil size automatically adjusts to different levels of light

Question 10

Laws of reflection

Answer 10

• 2 main predictable behaviours of reflected light
  1. angle of reflection equal to angle of incidence
  2. incident ray, normal, and reflected ray are all in the same place

Question 11

Lens

Answer 11

curved, transparent material where the light rays bend as they pass through

Question 12

Light

Answer 12

form of energy that we can see

Question 13

Normal

Answer 13

A reference line drawn perpendicular to a reflecting surface where an incident ray hits

Question 14

Opaque

Answer 14

when NO light can pass through

Question 15

Optics

Answer 15

Study of sight and light behavior

Question 16

Pupil

Answer 16

the dark opening that’s in the centre of the eye

Question 17

Ray

Answer 17

a single line of light that comes from a light source that can bounce off a surface it hits

Question 18

Ray diagram

Answer 18

a straight line with an arrow that’s used to show the path of light

Question 19

Reflected ray

Answer 19

The light that comes off a reflecting surface

Question 20

Reflecting telescope

Answer 20

Telescope that has a CONCAVE mirror to see rays of light from a far-away object

Question 21

Reflection

Answer 21

when a surface reflecrs light

Question 22

Refraction

Answer 22

when light bends when it travels between mediums

Question 23

Refracting telescope

Answer 23

Telescope that has a CONVEX lense to focus on light from a distant item, and an eyepiece lens to magnify it

Question 24

Retina

Answer 24

area at the BACK OF THE EYE; sensitive to light

Question 25

Rods

Answer 25

cylinder-like cells in the retina that detect the PRESENCE of light

Question 26

Transluscent

Answer 26

only some light that ISN'T STRAIGHT is passing through

Question 27

Transparent

Answer 27

allowing light through

Question 28

4 properties of light

Answer 28

1. light travels in straight lines 2. light can be reflected 3. light can be refracted 4. light is a form of energy

Question 29

5 examples of light

Answer 29

1. Incandescent light 2. Fluorescent light 3. Phosphorescent light 4. Chemiluminescent light 5. Bioluminescent light

Question 30

Incandescent light

Answer 30

emission of visible light by hot objects

Question 31

fluorescent light

Answer 31

glow caused by absorption of high-energy ultraviolet light (UV)

Question 32

Phosphorescent light

Answer 32

visible light is emitted over an extended period of time, instead of at once (similar to fluorescent light)

Question 33

Chemiluminescent light

Answer 33

when a chemical reaction produces visible light energy

Question 34

Bioluminescent light

Answer 34

light produced in living creatures

Question 35

White items...

Answer 35

REFLECTS light

Question 36

black items...

Answer 36

ABSORB light

Question 37

White light is...

Answer 37

Mixture of all the colors

Question 38

If the angle of Incidence is 57 degrees, what is the angle of reflection?

Answer 38

57 degrees - this is because of the laws of reflection; angle of incidence equals angle of reflection

Question 39

Types of mirrors

Answer 39

1. Plane mirrors 2. Concave Mirrors 3. Convex mirrors

Question 40

what does a concave mirror do?

Answer 40

- it can produce inverted images - magnified images - converging mirror

Question 41

What does a convex mirror do?

Answer 41

- appear smaller in reflection - upright -diverging mirror

Question 42

What lens do you use to fix nearsightedness?

Answer 42

Concave lens

Question 43

What lens do you use to correct farsightedness?

Answer 43

Convex lens

Question 44

What is the retina similar to in a camera?

Answer 44

Film- area sensitive to light, records an image when exposed to light

Question 45

Cornea

Answer 45

Transparent layer forming the front of our eye