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FlashcardsaboutPHOptics

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PHOptics
Physics:LightandOpticsKAPLAN/MCATinabox
Question

Answer

Dispersion

Thephenomenonobservedwhenwhitelightisincidentonthefaceofaprismandemergesonthe
oppositesidewithallitswavelengthssplitapart.isrelatedtotheindexofrefractionn=c/f.A
smallhasalargen,asmallangleofrefraction(2).

DivergingLens Alenswithathincenterthatdivergeslightafterrefractionandalwaysformsavirtualimage.
DivergingMirror Aconvexmirrorwithanegativefocallength.Divergingmirrorsalwaysproducevirtualimages.
Thefullrangeoffrequenciesandwavelengthsforelectromagneticwavesbrokendownintothe
Electromagnetic
followingregions(indescendingorderof):radio,infrared,visiblelight,ultraviolet,Xray,and
Spectrum
gammaray.
Whenamagneticfieldischanging,itcausesachangeinanelectricfieldandviceversa,resulting
Electromagnetic
inthepropagationofatransversewavecontainingamagneticandanelectricfieldthatare
Waves
perpendiculartoeachother.
FocalLength

Thedistancebetweenthefocalpointandthemirrororlens.Forsphericalmirrors,thefocallength
isequaltoonehalftheradiusofcurvature.

Indexof
Refraction

Ratioofthespeedoflightinavacuumtothespeedoflightthroughamedium,givenby:n=c/v
factorbywhichthecisreducedaslighttravelsfromavacuumintoanothermedium.

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FlashcardsaboutPHOptics

Interference

Whensuperimposedlightwavesareinphase,theiramplitudesadd(constructiveinterference)and
theappearanceisbrighter.Whensuperimposedlightwavesareoutofphase,theiramplitudes
subtract(destructiveinterference)andtheappearanceisdarker.

Lawof
Reflection

Lawstatingthatwhenlightwavesstrikeamedium,theangleofincidenceiisequaltotheangle
ofreflectionr.

Magnification

Adimensionlessvaluedenotedbymgivenbytheequation:m=i/o,whereiisimageheightando
isobjectheight.Anegativemdenotesaninvertedimage,whereasapositivemdenotesanupright
image.

PlanePolarized Lightthathasbeenpassedthroughapolarizingfilter,allowingonlythetransmissionofwaves
Light
containingelectricfieldvectorsparalleltothelinesofthefilter.
PlaneMirror

Amirrorinwhichincidentlightraysremainparallelafterreflection,alwaysproducingavirtual
imagethatappearstobethesamedistancebehindthemirrorastheobjectisinfrontofthemirror.

RealImage

Animageproducedatapointwherethelightraysactuallyconvergeorpassthrough.Formirrors,
thiswouldbeonthesideoftheobjectforlenses,itwouldbeontheoppositesideoftheobject.

Snell'sLaw

Equationdescribingtheangleofrefractionforalightraypassingfromonemediumtoanother,
givenbyn1sin1=n2sin2,wherenistheindexofrefraction.

SpeedofLight

Thespeedofelectromagneticwavestravelingthroughavacuum,givenbytheequationc=f,
wherecisaconstantequalto3.00x10^8m/s.

SphericalMirror

Acurvedmirrorthatisessentiallysmall,cutoutportionofaspheremirror,havingacenterof
curvatureCandradiusofcurvaturer.

TotalInternal
Reflection

Theconditioninwhichthe1oflighttravelingfromamediumwithahighntoamediumwithalow
nisgreaterthanthecriticalanglecresultinginallofthelightbeingreflectedandnoneofitbeing
refracted.

VirtualImage

Animageproducedatapointwherelightdoesnotactuallypassorconverge.Formirrors,this
wouldbeontheoppositesideoftheobjectforlenses,itwouldbeonthesamesideastheobject.

Diffraction

Thespreadingouteffectoflightwhenitpassesthroughasmallslitopening.

Converging
Mirror

Aconcavemirrorwithapositivefocallength.

Converging
Lens

Alenswithathickcenterthatconvergeslightraysatapointwheretheimageisformed.

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