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Module 13:
Various Light Phenomena and Hertz
Produced by Radio Pulses
After going through this module, you are expected to:
Learning Objectives:
a. identify various light phenomena
b. differentiate the various light phenomena
Learning Objectives:
a. define radio pulses/Hertz
b. discuss how radio pulses works
c. solve problems involving wavelength and frequency of radio
waves
PRE-TEST
Direction: Read each item carefully. Write the letter of the correct answer.
2. Red sunsets, blue moons, and milky-white skies are mainly the result of
A. Dispersion. B. Reflection.
C. Refraction. D. Scattering.
3. If the earth did not have an atmosphere, the sky would appear ____ during
the day.
A. Black B. Blue C. Red D. White
8. On average, as a cloud grows thicker (taller), which below does not occur?
A. More light is scattered by the cloud.
B. Less sunlight is absorbed by the cloud.
C. More sunlight is reflected from the cloud.
D. Less sunlight is transmitted through the cloud.
9. Imagine that this piece of paper is illuminated with white light and appears
red. You see red light because __________. A. The paper emits red light.
B. The paper disperses white light.
C. The paper absorbs red and reflects other visible wavelengths.
D. The paper reflects red and absorbs other visible wavelengths.
10.Which of the following would be true if the earth did not have an
atmosphere?
A. The sky would always be black.
B. There would be fewer hours of daylight.
C. The stars would be visible in the sky during the day. D. All of the
above
13.How did Hertz calculate the wavelength and frequency of EM waves in his
experiment?
I. Measured the distance between nodes which served as
wavelength of EM waves.
II. Calculated the frequency of the oscillator to get the frequency of
EM waves.
III. Calculated the frequency of the nodes to get the frequency of
EM waves.
IV. Measured the distance between oscillators which served as
wavelengths of EM waves.
A. I and II B. II and III
C. III and IV D. I and IV
14.A helium laser emits light with a wavelength of 633 nm. What is the
frequency of the light emitted by the laser?
A. 4.7 x 1015 Hz B. 4.7 x 1016 Hz
17
C. 4.7 x 10 Hz D. 4.7 x 1018 Hz
Jumpstart
Discover
The light or optical effect depends upon the type of particles that it
encounters and on its wavelength. For this reason the optical effects discussed in
this module have been grouped according to the following classifications of
atmospheric particles: mechanism of its occurrence, air, dust and haze; ice
crystals, and lastly water droplets.
Mechanism
1. Reflection of Light - Light is said to be reflected when the angle at which light
initially strikes a surface is equal to the angle at which light bounces off the
same surface.
Reflection can explain the origin of color in some cases because certain
portions of white light are more easily absorbed or reflected than others. For
example, an object that appears to have a green color does so because that object
absorbs all wavelengths of white light except that of green, which is reflected.
One form of reflection—internal reflection—is often involved in the
explanation of optical phenomena. During internal reflection, light enters one
surface of a transparent material (such as a water droplet), is reflected off the inside
surface of the material, and is then reflected a second time out of the material. The
color of a rainbow can partially be explained in terms of internal reflection.
How about seeing your image or reflection on a concave and convex side of
the spoon?
• Convex side - this side that bulges out. A convex mirror makes what you see
smaller and more so as you look closer to the edges. Convex mirrors are
sometimes used to see around corners in traffic or in stores to detect
shoplifters. Turn the spoon around.
• Concave side - this side which curves inwards. If you are close to a concave
mirror, you see an enlargement. A concave mirror can be useful in the
bathroom when you're putting on make-up or shaving. If you back away
from a concave mirror, you reach the focal point at this point, the image gets
all fuzzy. If you keep moving backwards, the image in a concave mirror turns
upside down.
2. Scattering of Light by small particles and molecules in the atmosphere.
Some particles and molecules found in the atmosphere have the ability to
scatter solar radiation in all directions. The particles/molecules which scatter light
are called scatterers and can also include particulates made by human industry.
a) Selective scattering (or Rayleigh scattering) - air molecules, like oxygen and
nitrogen, for example, are small in size and thus more effective at scattering
shorter wavelengths of light (blue and violet). The selective scattering by air
molecules is responsible for producing our blue skies on a clear sunny day.
b) Mie Scattering is responsible for the white appearance of clouds. Cloud
droplets with a diameter of 20 micrometers or so are large enough to scatter
all visible wavelengths more or less equally. This means that almost all of the
light which enters clouds will be scattered. Because all wavelengths are
scattered, clouds appear to be white.
3. Refraction of Light
Mirages
Mirages happen as the ground is very hot and the air is cool. The hot ground
warms a layer of air just above the ground. When the light moves through the cold
air and into the layer of hot air, it is refracted (bent).
Figure 5. Desert Mirage in Cape Verde of the coast of
Africa By Ladislav Luppa via Wikimedia Commons
A layer of very warm air near the ground refracts the light from the sky
nearly into a U-shaped bend.
4. Diffraction of Light
Diffraction is the slight bending of light as it passes around the edge of an
object.
Figure 6. Diffraction
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/opt/mch/diff.rxml
An optical effect that results from the diffraction of light is the silver lining
sometimes found around the edges of clouds or coronas surrounding the sun or
moon. The illustration above shows how light (from either the sun or the moon) is
bent around small droplets in the cloud.
Air, Dust, Haze
• Sunsets Appear in a Variety of Colors. As the sun sinks toward the horizon,
sunlight enters the atmosphere at a much lower angle and consequently
must pass through much more atmospheres before being seen by an
observer. Air molecules scatter away the shorter wavelengths of light (violet
and blue). The light with longer wavelengths (yellow, orange and red)
penetrates through the atmosphere produces colorful sunsets. The
combination of refraction and scattering of sunlight by atmospheric particles
is responsible for producing twilight, the brightness in the sky we observe
even though the sun is below the horizon.
Figure 9. Twilight
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/opt/air/s
Ice crystals
22 Degree Halo - a ring of light 22 degrees from the sun or moon. A halo is a
ring of light surrounding the sun or moon. Halos form when light from the
sun or moon is refracted by ice crystals associated with thin, high-level
clouds (like cirrostratus clouds). A 22-degree halo is a ring of light 22
degrees from the sun (or moon) and is the most common type of halo
observed and is formed by hexagonal ice crystals with diameters less than
20.5 micrometers.
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/opt/ice/sd.rxml
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/opt/wtr/coro.rxml
https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/256636/what-is-the-explanation-of
the-glory-optical-phenomenon
Water droplets
a. Primary Rainbow
The primary rainbow forms between about
40° and 42° from the antisolar point. The light path
involves refraction and a single reflection inside the
water droplet. If the drops are large, 1 millimeter or
more in diameter, red, green, and violet are bright,
but there is little blue. Such large droplets are
suggested by the rainbow at right. (taken from
http://hyperphysics.phy-
astr.gsu.edu/hbase/atmos/rbowpri.html)
b. Secondary rainbows
The secondary rainbow is about 10° further out from the antisolar point than
the primary bow, is about twice as wide, and has its colors reversed.
The light of the secondary bow is one-tenth the intensity of that of the
primary bow, given the same viewing conditions. The region between the two
rainbows should be a bit darker than the sky outside the secondary rainbow, but
this is a smaller difference.
If you pass white light through a red filter, then red light comes out the other
side. This is because the red filter only allows red light through. The other colors
(wavelengths) of the spectrum are absorbed. Similarly, a green filter only allows
green light through. This is called color by subtraction.
A red jumper (or any shirt or cloth) is red when viewed in white light because
all the wavelengths of the spectrum that fall on it are absorbed, except red is
reflected into the eye.
Discover
Figure 1. Heinrich Hertz
https://www.famousscientists.org/how-hertz-discovered-radio-waves
Recall that visible light is only one of the seven electromagnetic (EM) waves.
Another type of EM wave is the radio wave which is widely used for
communication and transmission of information regardless of the distance of the
sender and receiver. Radio waves are naturally created by astronomical bodies or
lightning. They can also be created artificially to serve their purpose.
In November 1886, Heinrich Hertz became the first person to transmit and
receive controlled radio waves. Considering how indispensable his wireless
transmissions quickly became, it seems a little odd looking back that he had no
practical purpose in mind for the radio or Hertzian waves he discovered.
You can see a diagram of an induction coil connected to a spark gap below.
Figure 2. Induction Coil connected to a Spark-gap
https://www.famousscientists.org/how-hertz-discovered-radio-waves
He varied the position of connection point C on the side-circuit. The only way
he could stop side-sparks being produced was to arrange the apparatus, so the
length of wire CA was the same as CB. Given that the electricity was alternating
current, this suggested to Hertz that voltage waves were separately racing through
the wire along paths CA and CB.
If the distances CA and CB were the same, then the same voltage must reach
points A and B at the same time. The electrical waves in CA and CB were said to be
in phase with one another so that sparks could not be generated. Sparks could only
be generated if there was a large voltage difference between points A and B.
Distances CA and CB are equal (red line). Voltage waves reach the sparkgap
in phase with one another. There is no voltage difference between A and B, so no
sparks jump over the gap.
Hertz did more experiments which revealed that the sparking at the main
gap produced regular electrical waves, in which its behavior was predictable. He
pictured waves of electric charge moving back and forth, creating a standing wave
within the wire. In other words, he believed the circuit was vibrating like a tuning
fork at its natural resonant frequency. He thought he now had a circuit in
resonance. Of course, in Hertz’s circuit the vibrations were not of sound, but they
were vibrations of electric charge. It’s worth bearing in mind that resonance is
not needed to produce electromagnetic waves – they’re produced whenever electric
charges accelerated.
Breaking Away
Hertz applied high voltage AC electricity across the central spark-gap of the
transmitter, creating sparks. The sparks caused violent pulses of electric current
within the copper wires leading out to the zinc spheres.
Hertz detected the waves with his copper wire receiver – sparks jumped
across its spark gap, even though it was as far as 1.5 meters away from the
transmitter. These sparks were caused by the arrival of electromagnetic waves from
the transmitter generating violent electrical vibrations in the receiver.
This was an experimental triumph that Hertz produced and detected radio
waves. Strangely, though, he did not appreciate the monumental practical
importance of his discovery. Summing up Hertz's importance: his experiments
would soon trigger the invention of the wireless telegraph and radio by Marconi,
and later on TV and other devices were made.
“I do not think that the wireless waves I have discovered will have any practical
application.”
Explore
Direction: Use the words below to complete the following sentences. Write your
answer on a separate sheet of paper.
https://www.forestville.com/cms/lib/NY19000591/Centricity/Domain/38/Fun_intro_to_EM
S_worksheet.pdf
Broadcasting, receive
Deepen
You are listening to an FM radio station with a frequency of 94.9 Hz, which
equals 94,900,000 Hz. What is the wavelength of these radio waves? Use the wave
speed equation v = λf, and assume the waves travel at the speed of light, 300,000.0
km/s. (3x 108 m/s is the speed of light).
Solution:
• Unknown: wavelength: λ?
Solve for λ
v = λf v = λf v = λ or λ = v
f f f f f f
Try to answer what is being asked. On a separate sheet of paper, solve the
following. Show your complete solution.
Gauge
Direction: Read each item carefully. Write the letter of the correct answer.
5. Which of the following are caused by the bending of light through ice crystals?
A. Halos and sundogs B. Rainbows and halos
C. Halos and the green flash D. Sundogs and sun pillars
7. On a foggy night, it is often difficult to see the road when the high beam lights
are on because of ____ of light by the fog.
A. Absorption B. Refraction C. Scattering D. Transmission
8. If the setting sun appears red, you may conclude that A. The next day's weather
will be stormy.
B. You will not be able to see the moon that night.
C. Only the longest waves of visible light are striking your eye.
D. The sun's surface temperature has cooled somewhat at the end of the
day.
9. This can only be seen when the sun is to your back and it is raining in front of
you.
A. Halo B. Rainbow C. Sundog D. Sun pillar
11. What event in Hertz’ experiment made him think that EM waves are being
transmitted?
A. Production of light B. Production of wave
C. Production of spark D. Production of sound
12. What quantities were needed to solve for the speed of the wave? A. Amplitude
and wavelength B. Frequency and period
C. Speed and wavelength D. Wavelength and frequency
13. Which of the following statements are true about how Hertz calculated the
speed of the EM waves?
I. He was able to create a standing wave from which he measured
the wavelength of the wave.
II. He was able to provide evidence that light cannot be absorbed.
III. Hertz made the radiation hit a broad metal sheet.
IV. He was able to create a standing wave from which he measured
the frequency of the wave.
A. I and II B. II and IV
C. III and IV D. I and IV
Answer Key