Optics Lecture Flashcards
deals with the properties and behavior of light along with its interactions with matter and also with the instruments used to detect it
optics
three broad subfields of optics
geometric optics
physical optics
quantum optics
study of light as rays
geometric optics
study of light as waves
physical optics
study of light as particles
quantum optics
electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from 380 nm to 750 nm which is visible to the human eye
light
the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be detected by the human eye
visible light
used to broadcast radio and television
radio waves
used in cooking, radar, telephone, and other signals
microwaves
transmits heat from sun, fires, radiations
infrared
makes things able to be seen
visible light
absorbed by the skin, used in fluorescent tubes
ultraviolet
used to view inside of bodies and objects
x-rays
used in medicine for killing cancer cells
gamma rays
used to describe the rays of light that exists
electromagnetic spectrum
___ and ___ help us to see an object
eyes
light
materials can be classified based on how it responds to light
opaque
transparent
transluscent
absorb light; do not let light pass through them (wood, rock, iron)
opaque materials
allow light to easily pass through them
transparent materials
opaque materials example
wood
rock
iron
transparent materials example
glass
water
allow light to pass through but distorts the light during the passage
transluscent materials
example of transluscent materials
some types of glass and plastic
basic optical devices
prism
mirror
converging lens
diverging lens