Wave property of light Flashcards
(18 cards)
What are the three main attributes used to quantify any wave?
Speed, Wavelength, Frequency
What is the general wave equation?
Speed = Wavelength x Frequency
What is the speed of light in a vacuum?
299792458 metres per second (3.0x10^8 ms^-1)
What happens to the speed of light when it travels through a medium other than vacuum?
It travels at a slower speed
What is the wavelength range of visible light?
0.00000040m to 0.00000075m (400nm to 750nm)
Fill in the blank: The speed of light in water is _______.
2.25x10^8 ms^-1
How is the refractive index calculated?
n_medium = speed in vacuo / speed in medium
What is the refractive index of water if the speed in vacuo is 3.00x10^8 ms^-1 and the speed in water is 2.25x10^8 ms^-1?
1.33
True or False: Light waves are visible to us.
False
What type of wavefronts do light waves create?
Spherical wavefronts
What is the wavelength of light that corresponds to a frequency of 5.09x10^14 Hz in vacuo?
Calculate using Speed = Wavelength x Frequency
How do we express very small numbers in standard form?
By dividing by powers of ten
What is the visible light wavelength range in nanometres?
400nm to 750nm
Fill in the blank: The action of lenses, prisms, and our eye depends on the _______ of light.
slowing down
What is the wavelength of light at 656.3nm in terms of speed and frequency?
Calculate using Speed = Wavelength x Frequency
What is the effect of throwing a pebble into a settled sink on the water surface?
Creates a wave that propagates across the surface
Fill in the blank: Light can be _______ or _______ at a surface.
absorbed, reflected
What is the significance of standard form in the context of wave properties of light?
It allows us to describe very large and very small numbers easily
