Light Phenomena I

How do different light

phenomena occur?

Learn About it !!!

 Reflection of a Spoon
• The two surfaces of a metal spoon are
examples of a curved mirror. The front of the
spoon that curves inward represents
a concave mirror while the back part which
bulges outward is the convex mirror.

• When light rays hit the surface of a concave

mirror, the rays tend to meet or converge at
the focal point of the mirror creating a real
and inverted image.
 Reflection of a Spoon

• This means the real rays will not

meet and create the image but the
imaginary ones will converge and
create the virtual and upright
image.
Mirage

A mirage is an optical
phenomenon which creates
a displaced image of an
object due to refraction of
light.
Mirage
This happens because the air just above
the asphalt road has a higher
temperature than the layer of air above
it. The differences in temperature cause
differences in optical densities or
refractive indices of the different layers
of air which bends or refracts light.
Mirage
This happens because the air just above
the asphalt road has a higher
temperature than the layer of air above
it. The differences in temperature cause
differences in optical densities or
refractive indices of the different layers
of air which bends or refracts light.
Mirage
The image below is another example of
a mirage. The sunlight that hits the tree
is reflected towards the observer's eyes.
Some reflected light rays that do not
pass through layers of air with
differences in temperature reach the
observer's eyes without bending
(represented by the straight arrow
coming from the tree to the observer).
Example
 Mirage
On the other hand, other reflected light rays will
have to travel through the layers of air with
different temperatures. The differences in the
temperature of the layers of air bends or refracts
the reflected light rays (represented by the
curved broken line coming from the tree to the
observer). The refracted light rays produce a
displaced image of the tree or a mirage
(represented by the broken straight line coming
from the observer's eyes to the ground).
 Filter
A filter can either be a colored glass or cellophane
that absorbs certain frequencies of visible light
and transmits a particular color frequency that
matches the filter's natural frequency.
. Light transmission occurs when a transparent
object allows light to pass through it.
 Objects Under Sunlight and
Artificial Light
• Petals of a yellow bell
because the petals absorb all the color
frequencies of white light except for yellow
which is reflected. The reflected yellow light
reaches our eyes that makes us see the color of
the petals.
 Objects Under Sunlight and
Artificial Light
• Incandescent light bulbs
Emit lower frequency colors such as red, orange, and
yellow. Thus, the objects with these colors are
enhanced under the incandescent light.
 Learn About it!

• Dark Rain Clouds

From the previous lesson, you have learned that clouds
appear white because the water droplets in the clouds
scatter all the color frequencies of white light equally.
On the other hand, rain clouds appear dark because
they are too thick that sunlight needs to pass through
a lot of water droplets and be absorbed before it can
reach the observer’s eye.
• Reddish Sunsets

Recall that the atmospheric particles scatter higher

frequency light which makes the sky appear blue. In a
similar way, sunsets appear red because sunlight
travels a greater distance as it reaches the horizon and
encounters more atmospheric particles, scattering
higher frequencies of light until only the red light is
left.
 Learn About it!
• Reddish Sunsets
Key Points

• The front of the spoon that curves inward

represents a concave mirror while the back part
which bulges outward is the convex mirror.
• A mirage is an optical phenomenon which creates a
displaced image of an object due to refraction of
light.
• A filter can either be a colored glass or cellophane
that absorbs certain frequencies of visible light and
transmits a particular color frequency that matches
the filter's natural frequency.
Key Points

• Light transmission occurs when a transparent

object allows light to pass through it.
• Different objects absorb and reflect different color
frequencies.
• Objects reflect certain color frequencies based on
the source that illuminates them.
• Incandescent light bulbs emit lower frequency
colors such as red, orange, and yellow.
• Fluorescent light bulbs emit higher frequency colors
like blue.
Key Points

• Rain clouds appear dark because they are too thick

that sunlight needs to pass through a lot of water
droplets and be absorbed before it can reach the
observer’s eye.
• Sunsets appear red because sunlight travels a
greater distance as it reaches the horizon and
encounters more atmospheric particles, scattering
higher frequencies of light until only the red light is
left.