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Regents Physics

Chapter 12 Waves

Light
The human eye can perceive only an extremely small fraction of the
electromagnetic spectrum (visible light). Light waves are electromagnetic
waves which consist of periodically changing electric and magnetic fields
and move through a vacuum at 3.00x108 meters per second. Speed of light is
represented by the letter c. NOTHING can move faster than the speed of
light!

c = 3x108 m/s

Note: Radio waves are charges accelerating in a wire.

RADIO WAVES ARE LIGHT WAVES, NOT SOUND WAVES!!!

Radio waves have the longest wavelength, and therefore smallest frequency,
whereas gamma rays have the shortest wavelength and highest frequency.
But remember, all light travels at the same speed!

v=f
For example:
1.) A beam of light with a frequency of 5.45 x 10 14 Hz travels in a vacuum.
a. What color is this light? (Always use frequency to determine
color!!!)

b. What is the wavelength of the light?

2.) Determine the frequency of a light wave with a wavelength of 700 nm.

Ray Diagrams
A ray is used to indicate the direction of wave travel. A ray is a straight line that is
drawn at right angles to a wave front and points in the direction of wave travel.

An incident ray is a ray that originates in a medium and is incident on a

boundary or an interface of that medium with another medium.

A reflected ray is a ray that has rebounded from a boundary or interface.

A refracted ray is a ray that results from an incident ray entering a second
medium of different optical density obliquely.

The normal is a line drawn perpendicular to the barrier or to the interface

between two media at the point where the incident ray strikes.

Reflection of Light
The law of reflection states that the angle of incidence is equal to the angle
of reflection.
i = r
The angle of incidence, i, is the angle between the incident ray and the normal to
the surface at the point where the ray strikes the surface. The angle of reflection,
r, is the angle between the reflected ray and the normal to the surface at the point
of reflection.

Parallel light rays on a smooth plane surface are reflected parallel to each other
because all the normals to the surface are parallel. However, when a beam of
parallel light rays strike an irregular surface, the reflected rays are scattered in all
directions.

Reflection from a Plane Mirror

Due to regular reflection, a virtual image is created on the other side of a plane
mirror (bathroom mirror).

The distance of the virtual image is equal to the distance of the object from
the mirror.
The image is the same size as the object.
The object is reversed left to right but not top to bottom.
The minimum size of a vertical, plane mirror for viewing the entire body is
one-half the viewers height.

For Example:
3.) Draw an image of the object in the mirror:

4.) Measure the angle and draw the reflected ray.

ALWAYS DRAW YOUR NORMAL LINE!!!