9

Name:

Light

TUTORIAL A
Visible light is the only part of the electromagnetic spectrum that our eyes can detect.

Most of the electromagnetic spectrum is our invisible. eyes . The only part is of it that

Light travels at diamond, and It ( travels

km/s through km/s through glass km/s through a water. vacuum

can

detect can

called

visible through

Light

travel

fastest

through

empty space; it doesnt need a medium (material) to travel through.

km/s), and nothing can travel

faster than that.

Light is made up of waves that do not need a (material) to travel

Nothing can travel faster than through a , . however, Other slow transparent light down.

through. It can also pass through any medium that is transparent (that we

An interface is a boundary between two different media.

can see through). Its speed, however, is then reduced. In a vacuum, light

travels at 300 000 km/s, but it slows down to 226 000 km/s in water and

When a light ray reaches a boundary between two different media (an

200 000 km/s in glass. When it passes through a crystal of diamond, it slows down to 125 000 km/s. This ability to slow the passage of light is what makes diamonds sparkle.

), it does not just stop. If both media are transparent and if the light strikes at any angle other than 90, the light ray changes direction (it is

refracted). Some transparent materials refract light more than others, because

A medium that we can see through is described sparkles as most through the . Light

they slow it down more.

gemstone down

When light travels from one transparent medium to a different one, it is ),

, because it the speed of light so much.

refracted (it changes

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33

Light

provided that the angle it strikes is not . The materials that slow light down the most it the most.

10

So than light

sapphire water

refracts and air

light water does. refracts Materials

does than

The refracting property of a material can be measured and is called its refractive index (RI).

with this ability to refract light are used to make a variety of objects, including stones and lenses. Different

colours are refracted differently. Violet is refracted most and red is refracted least.

11

Because

different to

colours different of can its

are extents,

triangular (a out

block prism) into

transparent separate of

material
A convex lens refracts light so that all the rays are focused onto a point.

white

light

spectrum

component colours (all the colours of the rainbow).

12

Within

the

white

light

spectrum,

the

colour that is refracted most is and is the . one that is refracted least

TUTORIAL B
A concave lens refracts light so that the rays spread out.

When white light splits into its component colours, this is called dispersion.

So

the

material index is 2.4. blue

with is That

the

highest .

refractive Its a value sparkly

13
. or even of the A

is

the

splitting

of

sapphire, is 1.8.

of white light into all the colours of the triangular curved in surface the air of can

gemstone,

Water is 1.3 and air is just a tiny bit above 1.0.

droplets cause

water rays to

light

disperse.

Lenses objects

An

RI

( would mean that, in

of air,

1.0 the

are that

curved, cause

transparent parallel rays to

exactly

come

material would hardly (change the direction of) light at all.

together so that they are focused onto one point.

34

Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

Light

14

A device that causes light rays to be focused onto a point is a . It

19

The reason that we cant see around , why objects form light travels in

is used in microscopes, telescopes and spectacles.

block light and why behind them is that

lines. When, however, light or

15

, are

telescopes all devices

and that

any other wave passes by the edge of an opaque object, or when it passes through a narrow opening, like a pinhole or a

make use of lenses, which light an onto opaque a point. material it is If light it strikes cannot (it

narrow slit, it is modified. It spreads out in ripplesit is diffracted.

(one

penetrate),

either

reflected

bounces off) or absorbed.

16

Light

cannot

penetrate the

an light ) bounces or the

material. off (it is

Either

material energy heat. reflect into Shiny, most

it and changes its another form, usually materials

light-coloured light. Dull,

dark-coloured
Waves are diffracted when they pass through a small gap.

materials absorb most light.

17

So white materials reflect than black ones, and

light

polished, mirror light than

20

When light spreads out in ripples as it passes by the material or through a , it is an interaction between the lines light normally travels in and objects in its path. All colours (wavelengths) of light are diffracted. of an opaque hole or narrow . Diffraction is

surfaces

reflect

matt or rough ones. Translucent objects are somewhere between transparent through) and does

(the ones we can opaque (the ones

not penetrate). Light is diffused by a translucent material so that our view

through it is blurred.

21 18
Materials that we can see through a little, but not clearly, are .

Different colours have different wave. colours of An light object except absorbs for its all own

Light travels in straight lines. So we cant see around corners. Light can be blocked by opaque objects, and it throws shadows behind them.

colour. Red paint will absorb all colours of light except red. If an object absorbs all colours it will appear black, but if it reflects all colours it will be white.

Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

35

Light

22

White

results

from

all

colours

of ,

the and

24

So the colour cyan can be made by mixing light with results from mixing light. Magenta light with

spectrum black

being from There all colours are 3

results .

being

primary

light. Yellow results from mixing light with light.

colours of light: red, blue and green. Secondary (complementary) colours are produced by mixing these.

25

White

is

made

by

mixing

the ,

three

primary colours of light,

23

All possible colours can be made by mixing the primary colours of light.

and from

. All possible colours come mixing the primary colours in

Blue plus green gives cyan. Red plus blue gives magenta. Green plus red gives yellow. Blue plus red plus green gives white.

different proportions.

TEST YOURSELF

Match up the term to the closest description and write it in. light 300 000 km/s diamond sapphire diffraction dispersion refraction black white opaque translucent transparent 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. when light spreads out in ripples as it passes an edge when white light splits into its component colours allowing light to pass through, but not clearly enough to see changing the direction of light at an interface able to be seen through not allowing light to pass through the speed of light through a vacuum the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum a sparkly blue gemstone

10. the sparkly gemstone that refracts light the most 11. resulting from the complete absorption of light 12. resulting from the complete reflection of light

36

Copyright 2009 McGraw-Hill Australia. Permission is granted to reproduce for classroom use.

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