 | Term | Definition |
| |
critical angle |
the refracted light ray that lies along the boundary of the two media |
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constructive interference |
a type of interference which occurs at any location along the medium where the two interfering waves have a displacement in the same direction. |
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concave lens |
THIN in the middle than at the edges |
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concave mirror |
reflects light from its INWARDLY curving surface and can produce either an upright, virtual image or an inverted, real image. |
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interference fringes |
the overlapping of light that creates a pattern of bright and dark bands |
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coherent light |
light from 2 or more sources, whose additive superposition produces smooth wave fronts. |
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index of refraction |
for a medium, is the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in that medium. |
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diffuse reflection |
a scattered, fuzzy reflection produced by a rough surface. |
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candela |
a unit of measure indicating the luminous intensity (candlepower) of a light source in a specific direction. |
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closed-pipe resonator |
a resonating tube with one end closed to air; its resonant frequencies are odd-numbered multiples of the fundamental |
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translucent |
a medium that transmits light and also can reflect a fraction of the light, but doesnt allow objects to be seen clearly through it. |
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electromagnetic wave |
coupled, changing electric and magnetic field that travels through space. |
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real image |
an inverted optical image thats smaller than the object and is formed by the converging of light rays. |
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polarized |
the property of electromagnetic waves, such as light, that describes the direction of the electric field. |
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laser |
(light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) device that produces powerful, coherent, directional, monochromatic light that can be used to excite other atoms. |
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law of reflection |
the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection |
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antinode |
the point with the largest displacement when two wave pulses meet. |
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wave |
a disturbance that carries energy through matter or space; transfers without transferring matter. |
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doppler shift |
the difference between the observed wavelength of light and actual wavelength of light based on the relative speed of the observer and the source of the light. |
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total internal reflection |
occurs when light traveling from a region of a higher index of refraction to a region of a lower refraction strikes the boundary at an angle greater than the critical angle such that all light reflects back into the region of the higher index of refraction. |
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principle of superposition |
states the displacement of a medium caused by two or more waves is the algebraic sum of the displacements of the individual waves. |
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trough |
the low point of a wave |
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wave pulse |
a single disturbance or pulse that travels through a medium |
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light |
part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which ranges from radio waves to gamma rays |
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longitudinal waves |
a mechanical wave in which the disturbance is in the same direction, or parallel to, the direction of wave motion. |
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wavelength |
the shortest distance between points where the wave pattern form repeats itself, such as from crest to crest or from trough to trough |
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focal point |
point where incident light rays that are parallel to the principle axis coverage after reflecting from the mirror |
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coherent wave |
a wave with a well-defined phase. |
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chromatic aberration |
a spherical lens defect in which light passing through a lens is focused at different points, causing an object viewed through a lens to seem to be ringed with color |
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convex lens |
THICK at the center than at the edges |
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convex mirror |
reflects light from its OUTWARDLY curving surface and produces an upright, reduced, virtual image |
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decibel |
the unit of measurement for sound level; also can describe the power and intensify sound waves. |
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frequency |
the number of complete oscillations that a wave makes each second |
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incidence wave |
a wave that strikes a boundary between two media |
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diffraction grating |
device consisting of large number's of single slits that are quite close together, different light, and form a diffraction pattern thats an overlap of single-slit diffraction patterns |
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opaque |
a medium that absorbs light and reflects some light rather than transmitting it, preventing objects from being seen through it. |
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regular reflection |
takes place when a parallel beam of light strikes a smooth polished surface and its reflected back as a parallel beam of light |
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refraction |
the change in direction of waves at the boundary between two different media. |
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Snell's law |
the product of the index of refraction of a medium and the sine of the angle of incidence equals the product of the index of refraction of a second medium and the sine of the angle of refraction |
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diffraction |
the bending of light around a barrier |
