Slide 2

Light travels as waves. These are called transverse waves.

Light travels in straight lines
Slide 3
Unlike sound waves, light waves can travel through a vacuum (empty space). They do not
need a substance to travel through, but they can travel
through transparent and translucent substances.
The very large difference between the speed of light in air (almost 300,000,000 m/s) and
the speed of sound in air (343 m/s)
Slide 4
Transparent – able to see through.
Translucent – allows light to pass through but it’s not completely clear
Slide 5
When light reaches a mirror, it reflects off the surface of the mirror:
the incident ray is the light going towards the mirror
the reflected ray is the light coming away from the mirror

Slide 6

Refraction at the boundary between air and water

Light waves change speed when they pass across the boundary between two substances
with a different density, such as air and glass. This causes them to change direction, an
effect called refraction.

Slide 7

Light cannot shine through opaque materials at all. In fact, opaque materials absorb the
light that shines on them.

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.

Light absorption is the process in which light is absorbed by matter and converted into

energy.

Light cannot shine through opaque materials at all. In fact, opaque materials absorb the
light that shines on them.