Light & Optics

An electromagnetic wave that travels in straight lines; a form of energy

Any physical substance through which energy can be transferred

A method of energy transfer that does not require a medium, the energy travels at the speed of light

a wave that has both electric and magnetic parts, does not require a medium, and travels at the speed of light

Electromagnetic waves that are visible to the human eye

The classification of electromagnetic waves by energy

The continuous sequence of colours that make up white light

An object that emmits light

An object that reflects light and does not produce it

Light produced from heat

Producing light by passing an electric current through a gas

An object absorbs UV light and emmits it slowly

An object absorbs UV light and refelcts it immediately

The emission of light without heat from a chemical reaction

The production of light by means of a chemical reaction in an organism

Producing light through scraping crystals together

Light produced when a current runs through a semi-conductor

Emits a focused beam of one wavelength of light

The bouncing back of light when it hits a surface it cannot pass through

The angle of incident is equal to the angle of reflection

The incident ray, the normal, and the reflected ray lie in the same plane

The ray that comes from an object and strikes a surface

The ray that is reflected off of a surface

The angle between the incident ray and the normal (θi)

The angle between the reflected ray and the normal (θr)

A mirror with a flat surface

Same, Upright, Behind Mirror, Virtual

A mirror with a surface that curves inward

The line passing through the centre of curvature and the vertex

The centre of the sphere from which the mirror is made.

The point in the middle of a mirror where the principle axis meets the mirror

The point at which parallel lines converge after reflecting off a concave mirror

Smaller, Inverted, Between F & C, Real

Bigger, Inverted, Beyond C, Real

Same Size, Inverted, At C, Real

No Image

Bigger, Upright, Behind Mirror, Virtual

...reflects through the focus

...reflects parallel to the principle axis

...reflects back on itself

...reflect at an equal angle with the principle axis

A mirror with a surface that curves outward

Smaller, Upright, In Front of F, Virtual

The bending or change in the speed and direction of light when in travels from one medium to another

The ray that is bent as it enters a new medium

The angle between the refracted ray and the normal (θR)

Towards

The ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in a medium

Away from

When light reflects at the barrier between two mediums instead of refracting

The θi that results in the θR being exactly 90 degrees

The first medium has a higher index and the θi is larger than the critical angle

Diamonds, fibre optic cables, prisms

An optical device in which the emergent ray is parallel to the incident ray

A transparent object with at least one curved side, causing light to refract

A lens with a thick middle and thin edge, causes parallel rays to converge

A lens with a thin middle and thick edge, causes parallel rays to diverge

The focus on the opposite side of a lens’ image

The point double the distance of the focal length

Positive

Negative

Happens in thick lenses, different colours refract differently

Smaller, Inverted, Between 2F and F, Real

Same Size, Inverted, At 2F, Real

Larger, Inverted, Beyond 2F, Real

No Image

Larger, Upright, Same Side, Virtual

Smaller, Upright, Same Side/Closer to Lens, Virtual

Uses a converging lens to create a real image on a sensor

Change the position of the lens to bring the image into focus

Adjust lenses to change the focal point

Use a converging lens to magnify an image onto a big screen

An object within the focus of a converging lens forms a magnifyed virtual image

Uses two converging lenses; objective lense creates a real image and the eyepiece lens creates a virtual image

Like a microscope but the object is distant

On the front of an eye; clear tissue that refracts light

The coloured part of the eye

Where light enters the eye

Inside the eye, refracts light onto the retina

Open and close the iris to let more or less light into the eye

Fluid in the middle of the eyeball

Fluid in front of the lens

The area on the back of an eyeball where the image is formed

Takes the image to the brain

Sense monochromatic light

Sense coloured light

Light focuses in front of the retina

Light focuses behind the retina

Caused by age; the lens cannot accomidate for nearby objects

Incorrectly shped eyeball; only some light focuses