Physics vocabulary
physics vocabulary
Terms
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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.
- decibel
- the unit of measurement for sound level; also can describe the power and intensify sound waves.
- trough
- the low point of a wave
- antinode
- the point with the largest displacement when two wave pulses meet.
- frequency
- the number of complete oscillations that a wave makes each second
- 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.
- polarized
- the property of electromagnetic waves, such as light, that describes the direction of the electric field.
- candela
- a unit of measure indicating the luminous intensity (candlepower) of a light source in a specific direction.
- focal point
- point where incident light rays that are parallel to the principle axis coverage after reflecting from the mirror
- critical angle
- the refracted light ray that lies along the boundary of the two media
- 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.
- 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
- wave
- a disturbance that carries energy through matter or space; transfers without transferring matter.
- 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
- 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.
- wavelength
- the shortest distance between points where the wave pattern form repeats itself, such as from crest to crest or from trough to trough
- diffuse reflection
- a scattered, fuzzy reflection produced by a rough surface.
- law of reflection
- the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection
- 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.
- closed-pipe resonator
- a resonating tube with one end closed to air; its resonant frequencies are odd-numbered multiples of the fundamental
- real image
- an inverted optical image thats smaller than the object and is formed by the converging of light rays.
- coherent light
- light from 2 or more sources, whose additive superposition produces smooth wave fronts.
- coherent wave
- a wave with a well-defined phase.
- interference fringes
- the overlapping of light that creates a pattern of bright and dark bands
- 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
- concave mirror
- reflects light from its INWARDLY curving surface and can produce either an upright, virtual image or an inverted, real image.
- refraction
- the change in direction of waves at the boundary between two different media.
- longitudinal waves
- a mechanical wave in which the disturbance is in the same direction, or parallel to, the direction of wave motion.
- laser
- (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) device that produces powerful, coherent, directional, monochromatic light that can be used to excite other atoms.
- 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
- wave pulse
- a single disturbance or pulse that travels through a medium
- concave lens
- THIN in the middle than at the edges
- light
- part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which ranges from radio waves to gamma rays
- incidence wave
- a wave that strikes a boundary between two media
- 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.
- convex mirror
- reflects light from its OUTWARDLY curving surface and produces an upright, reduced, virtual image
- electromagnetic wave
- coupled, changing electric and magnetic field that travels through space.
- convex lens
- THICK at the center than at the edges
- diffraction
- the bending of light around a barrier
- opaque
- a medium that absorbs light and reflects some light rather than transmitting it, preventing objects from being seen through it.