Chapter 10: Light is part of the electromagnetic spectrum and travels in waves

10.1 Light and the Electromagnetic Spectrum

Light and Colour
white light allows us to see objects of many different colours
white light composed of combination of many colors
Energy in a Wave
wave - disturbance that transfers energy from one point to another without transferring matter
in water wave, energy passes through waver from one point to another as wave rises and falls
movement of energy allows waves to do work
wave moves water up and down, but water does not move forward, only energy moves forward
Properties of Waves
crest - highest point in a wave
trough - lowest point in a wave
rest position - level of water when there are no waves
three important properties of all waves are:
Wavelength distance from one place in a wave to the next similar place on the wave
standard symbol is , lambda
measured in meters
Amplitude wave height from rest position of the wave to crest or wave depth from rest to rough
energy transferred by a wave depends on amplitude
larger amplitude > more energy carried
smaller amplitude > less energy carried
Frequency rate of repetition of a wave
energy of wave often depends on frequency of wave as well as amplitude
higher the frequency > more energy the wave passes along
standard symbol is f
measured in hertz (Hz), cycles per second

Relationship between Frequency and Wavelength

takes more energy to create more waves
when you create more waves per second, frequency increases > crests closer together
as more energy is put into making a wave, frequency of wave increases and wavelength shortens
frequency and wavelength have an inverse relationship
frequency increase > wavelength decrease
frequency decrease > wavelength increase

mathematical relationship among speed, v, the frequency, f, and wavelength

v = f
Electromagnetic Spectrum
light is a form of energy
visible light is a tiny fraction of the
electromagnetic radiation
electromagnetic radiation wave pattern made of
electric and magnetic fields that can travel through
empty space
range extends from shortest gamma
rays to longest radio waves and includes
light
range is called the electromagnetic
spectrum
The Wave Model of Light
model representation of an object, event or
process based on observations of its
characteristics and properties
used to help us understand complex
concepts
property attribute common to all substances or
objects of the same ground
light can be modelled and compared with water
waves
both can transfer energy, both travel
outward in all directions from source
wave model of light uses similarities
between light and movement of waves
to explain properties of light
prism transparent glass or plastic
object with flat, polished sides
light separates into colours
of rainbow
range of colours of light is
called visible spectrum

colours of visible spectrum can be explained using wave model

each colour has a different wavelength and frequency
red, longest wavelength, lowest frequency in visible light
violet, shortest wavelength, highest frequency

10.2 Producing Visible Light

Lighting Up the Deep
most important natural source of light is Sun
also other natural sources of light (stars, fire, lightning)
some animals and plants also produce light
bioluminescence ability of a plant or animal to produce
light
algae, jellyfish, insects, crustaceans, bacteria,
earthworms and fungi
common amongst sea creatures
over 90% of sea creatures are
bioluminescent
fish in deep have to create own light because no sunlight
can reach that far down
use light to find prey, scare off predators, attract mates or
camouflage
some fish produce own light, other bacterias have carry
out light producing chemical reactions
black sea dragon and angler fish have special spine with bulb as lure - attracts smaller fish
flashlight fish use their light to keep school together
turns it off when predator approaches
fireflies attract mates by flashing light in specific pattern
produced by chemical reaction
Sources of Light
light produced by stars are called natural light
light produced through human technology is called artificial light
Incandescent Light
light produced by an object, such as metal, that is at a very
high temperature
inside bulb is a filament, thin piece of wire
when turned on, electric current flows through filament,
heating it to high temp.
filament emits light as a way to release some of its energy
light is the filament glowing
extremely inefficient
5% of electrical energy is converted to light
rest released as heat
Fluorescent Light
light emitted by some substances when exposed to EMR
bulb is glass tube filled with small amount of gas, such as Hg
vapour
inside of bulb is coated with white powder called phosphor
phosphor substance that glows after being exposed to energized particles
as electrical current passes through, energizes atoms in gas > emits UV radiation
UV radiation strikes phosphor on inside of bulb > glows and emits light
more efficient than incandescent

 releases 80% of energy as heat

Phosphorescent Light
in fluorescent, phosphor only emits light while exposed to UV radiation
some substances have the ability to store energy from radiation
phosphorescence ability to store energy from a source of light then emit it slowly over a long period of time
phosphorescent materials glow in dark for some time after being energized by light
light eventually fades, can be re=energized if object held close to light source for few minutes
Chemiluminescence
light produced from a chemical reaction without
rise in temperature
chemical reaction gives off little heat,
sometimes referred to as cold light
all forms of bioluminescence are special kinds of
chemiluminescence
e.g.
light produced from glow sticks
analyzing crime scenes
investigators use a chemical called
luminol to detect traces of blood
chemical glows when it
reacts with iron found in
blood
Triboluminescence
producing light from friction
some crystals can glow by rubbing them together
can be produced by breaking apart sugar crystals or rubbing a diamond
Electric Discharge
method for producing light in which electric current passes through air or another gas, such as neon
e.g.
lightning, bolt of lightning can light up sky
carbon-arc light sources can be used to produce searchlights with beams powerful enough to reflect off the bottom
of high clouds
involves passing electric current through air or gas, between two carbon rods
Light-Emitting Diode (LED)
electroluminescence process of transforming electrical energy directly into light energy
consumes much less energy than sources such as fluorescent devices
LED electroluminescent light source made out of a semiconductor
semiconductor material that can be made to change how well it conducts electricity
some can emit light when small electric current passes through
do not have filament, solid materials instead > makes it very rugged because no delicate parts
can operate using small amounts of energy
very efficient producers of light and radiate very little heat
used in electronic billboards, traffic lights, decorative lights and handheld displaces
can replace incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs > conserving energy and lasting longer time, lighting up much faster
often used in rear brake lights in automobiles to avoid accidents

OLEDs
organic light-emitting display light source made of several extremely thin layers of organic molecules that use an electric
current to produce light
made of thousands of individual organic light-emitting diodes that uses different organic molecules to emit different
colours of light
uses less energy than other displays because they do not require a backlight
thinner, lighter, brighter, more flexible
can be rolled up or embedded in fabrics
has potential application in small and large screens
more expensive than other displays and easily damaged by water
disadvantages diminishing as design continues to be refined
Plasma Displays
many large screen televisions uses this
produces brighter images than LCD displayers but
more electrical power to operate
plasma display, each colour is a tiny fluorescent light
in which an electrical signal causes a gas, such as Ne, to
release UV radiation
UV radiation absorbed by phosphors that radiate light
in the visible spectrum
different phosphors are used to produce
red, green and blue light
by varying brightness of each
primary colour, millions of colours
can be produced

Liquid Crystal Displays

used by laptops, digital watches, cellphones, many flat
television sets
LCD, a white light, such as fluorescent light or light emitting
diode, shines behind a liquid crystal
liquid crystal solid that can change the orientation of its
molecules like a liquid, but only when electricity is applied
can block or transmit light depending on
amount of electricity
red, green and blue filters are placed in front
to produce those colours
polarizing filter special filter that blocks the red, green, blue
colours in any combination to produce any colour of light
each tiny square of colour is called a pixel
LCD work by blocking light, white light that shines behind crystals is always on, crystal does not block all light coming through
black appears as dark grey

10.3 The Ray Model of Light

Light and Matter
in ray model of light, light represented by a straight line
called ray, shows direction travelled
ray diagrams show the path of light takes after leaving
source
helps explain why brightness changes with distance
more rays that reaches eyes > brighter it is
use ray diagrams to explain what happens when light
strikes objects

materials may be classified on how they

transmit, absorb and reflect light
transparent materials transmit light
freely, absorb reflect very little light
translucent materials transmit some
light but not enough to see through
clearly
opaque objects reflect and absorb
light, but do not transmit light
Shadows
occurs when an opaque object blocks the direct source of light
size of shadow depends on size of object and its distance from the light source

small light source casts shadows that are sharp and well defined.
If the light source is large compared to the object blocking the light, the
shadows will not have a sharp edge (object only partly blocks the light)
wider the source > more blurred the shadow
umbra part of the shadow in which all light rays from the light source are blocked
penumbra area of partial shadow from a non-point light source

Light Reflection
incoming rays travel parallel to one another
regular reflection light rays strike a smooth surface and reflect in the same direction, staying parallel to one another
all rays reflected at almost same angle > reflected image almost same before they were reflected
when this occurs, possible to see a reflection
diffuse reflection
light rays reflect off a rough or uneven surface, does not remain parallel but scattered in different
directions
light is scattered > see page at any angle

Chapter 12 Optical devices help us see farther and more clearly than we can with unaided eyes
12.1 Human Perception of Light
Perceiving Light
polarized sunglasses can both reduce glare and block harmful ultraviolet rays.
anti-glare night vision glasses can help drivers filter out light rays that can be a problem at night when trying to see past the
headlights of oncoming cars.
visual perception is a very complex process that involves eyesight and using brain to make sense of the images received by
eyes
optometrist trained professional that does vision testing
will refer you to an ophthalmologist, physician who specializes in eye care
eye exams normally take about an hour
identify letters or shapes on an eye chart
look through different lenses
double vision
depth perception problems
colour vision deficiencies
pressure inside of eyes
early detection > correct/prevent problems from getting worse
Human Vision
cornea transparent layer of tissue that makes the
outer surface of eye where light enters
light can pass even though if it is made of
living cells, it is completely clear
made up of strong tissue that is tough
enough to protect eye and hold it together
while being extremely sensitive to touch
thick as a credit card and sensitive enough
to send you pain signal if touched
can heal itself from small scratch
light rays that arrive at eye are refracted by cornea >
helps direct light correctly into eye
without this, you would not be able to
focus
after passing cornea > light rays reaches pupil dark circle you see
hole that lets light pass into eye
black because light rays enters but do not leave
created by a circular band of muscle called iris
eye colour
controls size of pupil > controls amount of light that enters
in dim light, iris opens and pupils dilate > lets in more light
in bright light, iris closes and pupils contract > less light enters
happens automatically
Focussing the Light
good eyesight requires precise focussing of light rays through retina inner lining at the back of the eye that acts as a
projection screen for the light rays entering eye

 most of focussing of light is done by cornea

entire eye is a focussing system that involves cornea, lens and spaces in front and behind of lens
Changing the Shape of the Lens
convex lens collects light and directs it to a focal point
eye includes convex lens
lens allows you to change focus > see things more clearly
lens able to adjust focal length because it is attached to a tiny circle of muscles that can change its shape
when muscles supporting lens contract > circle shrinks > releases tensions in lens > expand on its own into a more
spherical or thicker shape > lens can strongly refract light, helps focus on very near objects
when muscle relaxed > circle expands > pulls lens flatter and thinner > excellent for seeing distant objects
Detecting Light
in order to see, light rays are absorbed by
photoreceptors
cells in retina that are sensitive to light,
includes rod cells and cone cells
rod cells help detect shape and movement in low
light
cone cells used to detect colour
in human, comes in red, green, or blue
particularly well
blind spot one place on every retina that has no
photoreceptors and cannot detect light
where the optic nerve attaches to retina
optic nerve connects eye to brain
you do not notice the blind spot because the brain
fills in that spot with whatever colours that are
nearby

Correcting Vision Problem Using Lenses

most important and widespread technological device related to human perception of light is the lens
made of tempered glass/hardened plastic in glasses, or tiny plastic contact lenses that floats on cornea
almost any focussing problem can be improved with lens
many people have focussing problems at some point in life
may occur in young children and teens, as their eyes grow along with rest of body
adults may be less able to see nearby objects clearly
lenses in eyes gradually harden and become less able to change shape
most eye problems fall into one or more categories: far-sightedness, near-sightedness and astigmatism
Farsightedness
can see distant objects clearly, but not nearby
light rays from nearby objects diverge more strongly than rays from distant > enter the eyes nearly parallel
cannot make lens thick enough to refract diverging light rays from nearby correctly on retina
image falls into focus behind eye > blurry image on retina
adding converging lens in front of eye helps light rays form image correctly on retina

Near-Signtedness
can see nearby objects clearly but not distant
nearly parallel rays that arrive at eye from distant objects are refracted so much
that image forms in front of retina
because eye cannot make lens thin enough > blurry vision
to correct, diverging lens placed in front of eye > light rays from distant to diverge
as they approach the eye
eye then causes light rays to converge probably, like light rays from nearby objects
light rays fall correctly onto retina in focus
Astigmatism
eye unable to form clear image because irregular shape of cornea or lens
typical cornea shaped like baseball
irregular shape causes image to form on more than one place on retina > blurry
vision
two types
eye refracts light better along vertical axis
difficulty seeing horizontal lines clearly
eye refracts light better along horizontal axis

 difficulty focusing on vertical lines

common symptoms include headaches and fatigue
almost all eyes have some irregularities in shape of cornea/lens
astigmatism only needs to be correctly if interfering with normal
vision
can be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses or laser surgery
Reshaping the Cornea
laser eye surgery general term for several different kinds of
procedures that involve correctly vision by reshaping cornea using
energy from laser
used to correct far/nearsightedness and astigmatism
has risk
may lead to poor night vision or problems caused by dry eyes
differences in eyes from one person to another > not suitable for
everyone
first task of laser surgeon is to asses whether procedure is appropriate for patient
if so give patient enough information to make an informed decision
some people delay having laser surgery because procedure is only several decades old > long-term effects are not known
Optical Technologies for Persons with Blindness
total blindness person does not perceive light at all
legally blind people with very low vision who, even with corrective lenses would need to stand about 6 m from object to see
clearly as normal sight from 60 m away
also applied to people whose vision field is less than 20 instead of 180 as seen with normal vision
almost all legally blind are able to detect some degree of light and form an image of some kind
peripheral vision
only see a tiny spot at the centre of visual field
most people with very low vision can have most of sight restored by wearing glasses/contact lenses/surgery
laser surgery can be used to help reattach a retina that became detached from back of eye
also remove cataracts, cloudy areas of lens
some are experimental, retinal implant
electronic device is surgically implanted into retinato replace natural photoreceptors
can digitally detect light and transform into electrical signals > stimulate functioning parts of retina > send signals to
brain
Colour and Vision
colour blindness only see shades of grey, occurring in 1/40000
some case, allows person to be able more easily recognize object set in highly complicated colour background
colour vision deficiency ability to distinguish some colours 1% of females, 8% of males
in one form, red-green deficiency, red and green appear to be the same colour
due to lack of cone photoreceptors that detect red
dyslexia perceptual condition where it is difficult to read text on white background
some cases, eyeglasses with coloured filters make reading easier as page appear to be coloured