Optics Flashcards
(172 cards)
What is refraction
the bending or changing of the direction of light when it travels from one medium to another
Light travels at different
speeds in different materials
Speed of light in a vacuum
3.00 * 10 ^8 m/s
Speed of light in water
2.25*10^8 m/s
Physicists can measure the
optical density of a material
What is optical density
the ability of a meterial to slow down the movement of light
The higher the optical density the
slower the movement of light and thus the more bent the light appears
Is it possible for light to travel faster than it does in a vacuum
no! in a vaccuum light will move as fast as it can,
Why does light move the fastest in a vaccuum
as there is nothing to slow it down
When light travels from one medium it will
change direction and appear to bend
Thus refraction occurs
as light crosses the boundary between two different materials
When light moves from one medium into another of greater optical density the refracted ray will
bend towards the normal
(slowing down)
When light moves from one medium into another of lower optical density the refracted ray will
bend away from the normal (speeding up
when light moves from water to air it
bends away from the normal
And image in water will appear
closert to the surface than the object
Total internal reflection can occur when
light moves from a medium with greater optical density into a medium with lower optical density
As light refracts some light will
also reflect back and follow the law of reflection
As the angle of incidence increases, the intensity of light gets
weaker in therefracted ray and stronger in the reflected ray.
The critical angle (OC) is the angle of incidence where the refracted ray is
directly on the boundary, 90 degrees to the normal
At an angle of incidence
reater than the critical angle, light does not refract at all, and only reflects back into the initial medium
The principle of total internal reflection is used in many places including
periscopes, binoculars, and retroreflection
Diamonds are cut in specific ways to make use of what
total internal reflection
Total internal reflection makes them sparkle
Fiber optic cables work because of
total internal reflection
Light travels at different
speeds in different mateirials