Fundamentals of Light
An object that allows no visible light through it. Concrete, wood, and metal are some examples.
What is opaque?
In physics, mathematics, engineering, and related fields, a propagating dynamic disturbance of one or more quantities, oscillating repeatedly about an equilibrium value at some frequency.
What is a wave?
A type of electromagnetic radiation with the lowest frequencies and the longest wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum, typically with frequencies of 300 gigahertz and below.
What is a radio wave?
A curved mirror where the reflective surface bulges out toward the light source. This bulging-out surface reflects light outwards and is not used to focus light.
What is a convex mirror?
An object capable of allowing light to pass through the material with some scattering of light rays.
What is translucent?
A type of wave that oscillates perpendicularly to the direction of the wave's advance.
What is a transverse wave?
Electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths longer than that of visible light but shorter than microwaves. Waves that are just longer than those of red light, the longest waves in the visible spectrum.
What is an infrared wave?
A reflecting surface that is recessed inward (away from the incident light), and reflects light inward to one focal point.
What is a concave mirror?
An object capable of transmitting visible light, allowing the eye to see through them.
What is transparent?
A type of that wave travels in the direction of its oscillations.
What is a longitudinal wave?
The band of the electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to the human eye.
What is visible light?
The image of an object that is defined as the collection of focus points of light rays coming from the object made by extensions of converging/diverging rays.
What is a virtual image?
The change in direction of a wavefront at an interface between two different media so that the wavefront returns into the medium from which it originated.
What is reflection?
A type of wave that is an oscillation of matter, and therefore transfers energy through a material medium.
What is a mechanical wave?
Electromagnetic radiation of wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. Present in sunlight, and constitutes about 10% of the total electromagnetic radiation output from the Sun.
What is an ultraviolet wave?
An image that is the collection of focus points actually made by converging/diverging rays.
What is a real image?
The redirection of a wave as it passes from one medium to another. The redirection can be caused by the wave's change in speed or by a change in the medium.
What is refraction?
Waves of the electromagnetic field, which propagate through space and carry momentum and electromagnetic radiant energy.
What is an electromagnetic wave?
A penetrating form of electromagnetic radiation arising from the radioactive decay of atomic nuclei. It consists of the shortest wavelength electromagnetic waves, typically shorter than those of X-rays.
What is a gamma wave?
The point at which rays or waves meet after reflection or refraction, or the point from which diverging rays or waves appear to proceed.
What is a focal point?