Optics Flashcards
(389 cards)
Photons of like behave as both ______ and ______.
waves and particles
What is the speed of light proportional to?
speed = velocity (v) which is directly proportional to wavelength and frequency.

What it the speed of light?

Given a constant speed of light in a given medium, what is the relationship of wavelength and frequency?
Which are the only two substances that light does not slow down in?
When light slows down in a medium, what happens to the frequency and the wavelength?
Frequency remains the same
Wavelength shortens
Name the 6 categories of light in the elctromagnetic spectrum from longest wavelength to shortest
- Radio (AM/FM)
- Infrared
- Visible Light (350-750)
- UV light
- X-ray
- Gamma rays

What is the relationship of Energy to frequency and wavelength?
Directly proportional to Frequency
Inversely proportional to wavelength

Define the index of refraction
ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in a specific material

Give the index of refraction of the following materials
- Air
- Water
- Aqueous and vitreous
- Cornea
- Crystalline Lens
- IOL (silicone, acrylic, PMMA)
- Glass
- High index lenses
- Air 1.00
- Water 1.33
- Aqueous and vitreous 1.34
- Cornea 1.37
- Crystalline Lens 1.42
- IOL (silicone 1.41, acrylic 1.55, PMMA 1.49)
- Glass 1.52
- High index lenses
Define Optical interference
Overlapping of light waves
What is Constructive Interference?
when the peaks of 2 waves overlap, resulting in maximum intensity
What is Destructive Interference?
when the peak of one wave overlaps with the tough of another,
Explain how anti-reflective coatings wor?
Coating uses destructive interference 1/4 wavelength apart
How do interference filters work (i.e. FA filters)
allow only green light out of the eye by using destructive interference to block all other colors
What is Coherence?
the ability of two light beams to cause interference (a large white source has a coherence close to zero)
What is the best clinical example of coherence?
OCT
Explain the polarization of light
Each light wave has an electrical field with a particular orientation
What is non-polarized light?
electrical field of each wave has a random orientation
What is polarized light?
All electrical fields have the same orientation
What are Haidinger brushes, what are they used for and how do they work?
polarizing filter rotating in front of a blue background produces a rotating image like a double ended brush or propeller
This is a type of endopic phenomenon which tests macular function

Name 3 clinical examples of polarized light
- Titmus stereo testing
- polarized microscopy
3.
Define Defraction
Bending light waves around edges; change in direction of light waves is related to wavelength (the shorter the wavelength the less change in direction)
What determines the amount of diffraction?
related to the size of the aperature (the smaller the aperature the greater the diffraction)
Interference of new waves ith original rays forms a diffraction pattern
























































































































































































