What are light waves BBC Bitesize?
What are light waves BBC Bitesize?
Light travels as waves. These are transverse waves, like the ripples in a tank of water….How light travels.
| Light waves | Sound waves | |
|---|---|---|
| Can they travel through matter (solids, liquids and gases)? | Yes (if transparent or translucent) | Yes |
| Can they travel through a vacuum? | Yes | No |
What happens when a light ray hits a glass block?
Refraction in a glass block. When light passes from air through a block with parallel sides, it emerges parallel to the path of the light ray that entered it. Refraction explains why an object appears to bend when it goes through water.
What is refraction of light BBC Bitesize?
When a wave or light ray moves from one medium to another its speed changes. The direction of the ray may also change. This property of waves is called refraction and commonly occurs with light rays.
What happens when a light ray hits a flat matt surface?
The reflection of light from a flat surface such as a mirror is called specular reflection – light meeting the surface in one direction is all reflected in one direction.
What is light ks3?
Light travels in straight lines from a source. Light travels as transverse waves. It travels much faster than sound, and does not need a substance to travel through. Light travels through transparent objects but not through opaque objects. Shadows are made when light is blocked by an object.
Why do scientists use light rays to represent light waves?
Why do scientists use light rays to represent light waves. They use it cause of the new model they proposed, it shows that the energy in light is contained in individual particles called photons. Three examples of object that produce diffuse reflection.
What happens when a ray of light hits a glass block at 90 degrees?
Direction of bending However, if the ray of light hits the surface at right angles (ie at 90°) to the surface, the ray is not bent. When a ray of light passes from a denser material (eg water or glass) into a less dense material (eg air) it is bent towards the surface between the two materials.
What happens when light travels through glass?
When light hits a glass object, some of the light bounces (or reflects) off the glass. The rest of the light keeps going through the glass object, but the light is bent (or refracted) as it moves from the air to the glass. The index of refraction for the oil is very close to the index of refraction for glass.
What is refraction BBC Bitesize GCSE?
Refraction is the change in direction of a wave at such a boundary. It is important to be able to draw ray diagrams to show the refraction of a wave at a boundary. A ray diagram showing refraction at the boundary between air and glass.
What changes when light is refracted?
Light refracts whenever it travels at an angle into a substance with a different refractive index (optical density). This change of direction is caused by a change in speed. For example, when light travels from air into water, it slows down, causing it to continue to travel at a different angle or direction.
What happens when light rays strike a surface?
In reflection, a light ray strikes a smooth surface, such as a mirror, and bounces off. A reflected ray always comes off the surface of a material at an angle equal to the angle at which the incoming ray hit the surface. In physics, you’ll hear this called the law of reflection.
What do you learn from ray diagrams?
Learn about the laws of reflection and refraction. A ray diagram shows how light travels, including what happens when it reaches a surface. with an arrowhead pointing in the direction that the light travels. Remember to use a ruler and a sharp pencil.
What are the angles of incidence and reflection of light rays?
The angles of incidence and reflection are measured between the light ray and the normal. The diagrams show a light ray being reflected at a plane mirror. For example, if a light ray hits a surface at 25°, it will be reflected at 25°.
What happens when a light ray moves from one medium?
Refraction When a wave or light ray moves from one medium to another its speed changes. The direction of the ray may also change. This property of waves is called refraction and commonly occurs with light rays.
What is the direction of vibration in a ray of light?
These are transverse waves, like the ripples in a tank of water. The direction of vibration in the waves is at 90° to the direction that the light travels. Light travels in straight lines, so if you have to represent a ray of light in a drawing, always use a ruler.