Ambulance-use rearview mirror, it gets laterally inverted so you can read properly.

Lateral Inversion-left appears as the right and vice versa in a mirror

Light-form of Electromagnetic Energy

-part of Electromagnetic spectrum and the only part we can really see.

-Reflected, Absorbed, Refracted.

- c =3.0x10^8m m/s

Reflection & Mirrors

Justus von Liebig in 1835-The invention of the silvered-glass mirror is credited to German chemist

-His process involved the deposition of a thin layer of metallic silver onto glass
through the chemical reduction of silver nitrate.

Physics l Light and Geometric Optics

Geometrical Optics

“Geometrical” Optics(rough approximation):light rays (“particles”) that travel in straight lines.

“Physical” Classical optics(good approximation): electromagnetic waves which have amplitude and phase that
can change.

Quantum Optics(exact): Light is BOTH a particle(photon) and a wave: wave-particle duality.

In describing the propagation of light as a wave we need to understand:

Wave fronts: a surface passing through a points of a wave that have the same phase.

:imaginary surave that represents points in the wave that vibrate.

Rays: describes the direction fo a wave propagation. A ray is a vector perpendicular to the wavefront.

Ray Model of Light

Light rays-illustrate the travel of light in a straight line.

In the study of how light behaves, its is useful to use “light rays” and the fact that light travels in straight lines.

Reflection, Refraction, or Absorption- when light strikes the boundary between 2 media.

Mirrors and Reflection Of light

Two Types of Mirrors:

1. Plane Mirror- is one with flat surface.

2. Spherical mirror- has a reflecting surface taken from the surface of the sphere. It may be concave or convex.

Flat/ Plane mirrors- form images via reflection.

 Object and Image have:

• Same size

• Same orientation

• Equal distances from the mirror

The image in a plane mirror is laterally reversed.

Ray Diagram Terminology

 Incident ray – incoming ray that strikes a surface

 Reflected ray – ray that bounces off a reflective surface

 Normal – perpendicular line to a mirror surface

Image formed by plane mirrors are always virtual, upright, the same size as the object, located in the same distance
behind the mirror and laterally reversed.

Virtual image formed behind the mirror and is upright relative to the object.

Reflection Terminology

 Reflection: bouncing back of light from a surface

:property of light that occurs when light bounces back as it hits a surface.

 Mirror: any polished surface that exhibits reflection

:reflective surfaces made up of glass.

 Angle of incidence – angle between the incident ray and the normal

 Angle of reflection – angle between the reflected ray and the normal

 Image: a reproduction of an original object through the use of light

Law of Reflection states that- " the angle of incidence (incoming ray) equals the angle of reflection (outgoing ray)"

The law works for FLAT, PLANE surfaces only.

The angles are measured from a perpendicular line to the surface called a NORMAL.

When light reflects off a surface, the angle of incidence is always equal to the angle of reflection.

The incident ray, the reflected ray and the normal all lie in the same plane.

Types of Reflection
SPECULAR/REGULAR REFLECTION-Reflection off a smooth surface
-when light strikes a smooth surface.
-incident light rays strike the surface in a parallel orientation and are reflected in
the same orientation.
 DIFFUSE REFLECTION-Reflection off an irregular/dull surface
-incident light rays strike a rough surface, light is reflected in many directions
while still following the law of reflection.

Ray diagramming technique- graphically, image formed by plane mirrors can be traced.

 Virtual image: an image formed by light that does not come from the image location (but it appears
to come from the image)
:are those that formed behind the mirror.
:image appears behind the mirror.
:basically images which cannot be visually projected on a screen
: are ALWAYS on the OPPOSITE side of
the mirror relative to the object.

 Real - image appears in front of the mirror (could be projected onto a screen)
- are ones you can project on to a screen.
- always appear on the SAME SIDE of the mirror as the object.

These characteristics are:

SIZE- (reduced, enlarged,

POSITION- (same side, opposite side)

ORIENTATION- (right side up, inverted)

Size of the Image

 Enlarged - image is larger than the object

 Reduced - image is smaller than the object

 Same - image is the same size as the object

Attitude:
• Upright- image is right-side up
• Inverted (vertical)- image is upside-down
• Laterally Inverted- image is flipped horizontally
Object distance = Image Distance
Using object-image lines to locate image in a plane mirror.
Locating an image in a plane mirror

 A. Using Object-Image Lines

 B. Using Light Rays (ray diagram)

 C. Using both Object-Image lines and Light Rays (ray diagram)

Image formed by plane mirrors are always,

 -virtual,

 -upright,

 -the same size as the object,

 -located in the same distance behind the mirror,

 -laterally reversed.

Spherical Mirrors/ Curved Mirrors

CURVED/SPHERICAL MIRROR
-is a mirror with a curved reflecting surface. The surface may be either convex (bulging outward) or concave
(bulging inward).
- surfaces that are shaped like part of a sphere
Spherical caps- pieces cut from a sphere
Principal axis- line cutting through the center.
- line passing through the center of the sphere and attaching to the mirror in the exact center
of the mirror.

(C) center of curvature- (center point of the sphere) or the geometrical center of the mirror.
- the point in the center of the sphere from which the mirror was sliced.
Vertex(v)-actual physical center of the mirror.
-the point on the mirror's surface where the principal axis meets the mirror.

(F)focus- (focus) of the mirror (halfway between C and the mirror)

- the point between the vertex and the center of curvature.
Radius of curvature-distance from the center of curvature to the vertex of the mirror.
- the distance from the vertex to the center of curvature.
Focal length-distance from the vertex.
-the distance from the mirror to the focal point.

A spoon is a kind of a curved mirror with both concave and convex surfaces.

CONCAVE “CONVERGING” MIRROR- It is a curved mirror in which the reflective surface bulges away from
the light source.
-reflective surfaces bent inward.
- may be enlarged or diminished depending upon the position of the object.
CONVEX “DIVERGING” MIRROR- It is a curved mirror in which the reflective surface bulges towards the light
source.
-show a wide range of view with their smaller virtual image.
-Have their reflective surface bent outward
- always forms a diminished image
Used in: security mirrors, side-view mirrors in cars, “ objects in mirror are closer than they appear”
 ALWAYS:
 L- behind the mirror
 O- upright
 S- smaller
 T- virtual
Note: For a convex mirror the focal point is behind the mirror and thus negative.

ANALYTICAL METHOD
MIRROR/LENS -equation to CALCULATE the position of the image. The mirror equation expresses the relationship
between the object distance do, the image distance di and the focal length f.

1 = 1 + 1

f do di
R= radius of curvature

f= focal length

do= object distance from the vertex of a mirror

di= image distance from the vertex of a mirror.

The Mirror/Lens Equation

Sign Convention:
1. The focal length (f) and the radius of curvature are positive (+) for concave mirrors and negative (-) for convex
mirrors.

2. The distance of the image from the vertex of the mirror is positive for real image and negative for virtual
image.

Magnification Equation
- To calculate the orientation and size of the image we use the MAGNIFICATION EQUATION.

• If we get a POSITIVE magnification, the image is UPRIGHT.

• If we get a NEGATIVE magnification, the image is INVERTED

• If the magnification value is GREATER than 1, the image is ENLARGED.

• If the magnification value is LESS than 1, the image is REDUCED.

• If the magnification value is EQUAL to 1, the image is the SAME SIZE as the object

Refraction
- The effects are due to the change of direction of light when light travels from one medium to another.
- bending of light waves as they enter or cross the boundary between 2 media with different densities.

• Refraction of light is the bending of a light rays at the boundary as the rays travel from one medium to another.
• Light rays bend towards the normal when the rays travel from a less dense medium to a denser medium (eg:
water to glass)
• Light rays bend away from the normal as it travels from a denser medium to a less dense medium.

When light ray travels from one medium to another, its speed changes. The change in speed of the light ray
cause the change of its direction.

The Law Of Refraction

The index of refraction (n) is the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in the medium

- a substance is the ratio of the speed of light in vacuum to the speed of light in the substance.

Angle of refraction-angle at which this ray is bent from the normal line.

Optical density-property of material that allow light to pass through bend the light more than others.

A substance is said to be optically denser than another it its index of refraction is greater. The higher the index of
refraction, the slower light travels in that substance.

c
n=
vn v  c  n 1
C=the speed of light in vacuum (3x10^8 m/s)

V=speed of light in material

n 1 sin  1 = n 2 sin  2
Snell’s Law- a rat of light bends so that the ratio of the sine of the angle if incidence to the sine of the angle or
refraction is constant.

Willebrord Snell(1580-1626)-Dutch astronomer and mathematician

-Identified the exact relationship between the angle of incidence and angle of
refraction

ni = index of refraction of the incident medium

= index of refraction in the original medium

nr = index of refraction of the refractive medium

=index in the medium the light enters.

0i & 0r- angles of incidence and refraction, respectively.

Shallowing Effect-an effect of refraction

-where objects submerged in a liquid appear to be shallower than they actually are.
Refractive index of water = (Real depth/ Apparent depth)
Apparent depth-depth that an object appears to be at due to the refraction of light in a transparent medium.
-always smaller than actual depth
The refraction of lunar light or sunlight by the ice crystals in clouds especially during winter results in the
formation of halos around the moon or the sun.
stellar scintillation (commonly known as the twinkling of a star), mirage, and longer daytime are the results of
the refraction of light as it passes through……
Refraction of light is responsible for image formation in our eyes and lenses.
Atmosphere refraction-deviation fo light path due to the cariation in air density as a function of height.

Spherical Lenses
Lens-Is a curved piece of glass or some other transparent material that used to refract light.
-Transparent materials made of either glass or plastic.

Diverging lens or Concave lens

-The lens which is thicker at the end than the middle is called the concave lens.
diverging lens as it spreads out the light rays that have been refracted through it.
- Thin in the middle and thick at the edges.

Converging lens or Convex lens

• Convex lens: The lens which is thicker at the middle than the end is called a convex lens. It is also called
a converging lens as it converges the parallel beam of light into a point.

-thick in the middle and thin at the edges.

The Physics of the Eye

Near Sighted – Eyeball is too long and the image focuses in front of the retina
Near Sightedness – Concave lenses expand the focal length
Far Sighted – The eyeball is too short so the image is focused behind the retina.
Far Sightedness – Convex lenses shorten the focal length.
eye is an opaque ball averaging 2.3 cm in diameter.
Cornea-in the front of the eyeball is a transparent opening.

Onions enlivens a gas, propanethiol S-oxide when cut.

 Reflex Tears- We begin lacrimation when an outside object or irritation touches the portion of our eye that is
exposed.

Optical Instruments and their Functions

NIMRUD LENSE:

• 3000 years old

• Austen Henry Layard

• Assyrian Palace of Nimrud

• Magnifying Glass

• Burning Glass

• Piece of decoration

Magnifying glass is a single positive lens that will add convergence to the visual system.

compound microscope consists of a combination of lenses for magnifying an object several hundred times.

telescope allows us to see distant objects. It contains two converging lenses, namely, the objective and the
eyepiece.

camera is a box-like device used for taking pictures.

Binoculars consist of a pair of telescopes mounted together, each having an objective lens and an eyepiece.

Endoscope is a long flexible tube that is inserted in the body so that a doctor can observe internal

passages such as a person’s esophagus or intestine.

-spectrometer uses the principle of diffraction to create a spectrum of colors emitted by a light source.

-overhead projector has a mirror, which focuses light from an intense source onto a pair of converging lenses.

Color in the day and night skies

Optical phenomena in the atmosphere is varied and can be awe inspiring.

Auroras - caused by interaction of the Sun’s particles (solar wind) and the magnetosphere of Earth.

Color generation in the atmosphere

• -Every color of the “white light” from the Sun can be refracted to varying degrees by passing through a
prism.
• Crepuscular Rays-Formed by sunlight streaming through a break in the clouds.
Also called Jacob’s Ladder
• Rainbows-Rainbows form when light is refracted by cloud and raindrops.
• Halos (not talking about Angels)- Formed by light coming from the sun (or moon), then being
refracted by ice crystals in the upper atmosphere.
Tangent arc - similar to halo; also called circumzenith arcs
• Tangent arcs - appears occasionally at top of 22 degree halo. When ice crystals fall with long axes
parallel to ground.
• Upper tangent arc - when sun is on horizon, arc forms above
• Lower tangent arc - when sun is above horizon, the arc may form on lower part of halo
• Coronas - similar to halos-Coronas are caused by light from the sun or moon diffracting around objects
• Glories-Glories form in a similar manner to rainbows
• Sun dogs, or parhelia-Sun dogs are formed when light refracts on either, or both, sides of the Sun
through ice crystals.
• Sun pillars-Formed by reflection of light from a low Sun off of ice crystals
• Green Flash(not the comic-book character)- Seen on upper rim of rising or setting sun (more
common). There is so much atmosphere to penetrate when sun is on horizon, sunlight is refracted.

• Mirages - Fata Morgana

Fata Morgana Mirage - (Italian for Fairy Morgana) - uniform horizon transformed into walls and
columns with spires.
The Legend of Fata Morgana - Morgana was half sister to King Arthur. She had magical powers and
could build castles out of the air.