Section 1 Characteristics of

Chapter 13 Light

Preview
• Objectives
• Electromagnetic Waves

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 Section 1 Characteristics of
Chapter 13 Light

Objectives
• Identify the components of the electromagnetic
spectrum.

• Calculate the frequency or wavelength of

electromagnetic radiation.

• Recognize that light has a finite speed.

• Describe how the brightness of a light source is

affected by distance.

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 Section 1 Characteristics of
Chapter 13 Light

Electromagnetic Waves
• An electromagnetic wave is a wave that consists of
oscillating electric and magnetic fields, which radiate
outward from the source at the speed of light.

• Light is a form of electromagnetic radiation.

• The electromagnetic spectrum includes more than

visible light.

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 Section 1 Characteristics of
Chapter 13 Light

The Electromagnetic Spectrum

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 Section 1 Characteristics of
Chapter 13 Light

Electromagnetic Waves, continued

• Electromagnetic waves vary depending on frequency
and wavelength.

• All electromagnetic waves move at the speed of light.

The speed of light, c, equals
c = 3.00  108 m/s

• Wave Speed Equation

c = f
speed of light = frequency  wavelength

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 Section 1 Characteristics of
Chapter 13 Light

Electromagnetic Waves
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Visual Concept

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 Section 1 Characteristics of
Chapter 13 Light

Electromagnetic Waves, continued

• Waves can be approximated
as rays. This approach to
analyzing waves is called
Huygens’ principle.
• Lines drawn tangent to the
crest (or trough) of a wave
are called wave fronts.
• In the ray approximation,
lines, called rays, are drawn
perpendicular to the wave
front.

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 Section 1 Characteristics of
Chapter 13 Light

Electromagnetic Waves, continued

• Illuminance decreases as the square of the distance
from the source.

• The rate at which light is emitted from a source is called

the luminous flux and is measured in lumens (lm).

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 Section 2 Flat Mirrors
Chapter 13

Preview
• Objectives
• Reflection of Light
• Flat Mirrors

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 Section 2 Flat Mirrors
Chapter 13

Objectives
• Distinguish between specular and diffuse reflection
of light.

• Apply the law of reflection for flat mirrors.

• Describe the nature of images formed by flat mirrors.

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 Section 2 Flat Mirrors
Chapter 13

Reflection of Light
• Reflection is the change in direction of an
electromagnetic wave at a surface that causes it to
move away from the surface.

• The texture of a surface affects how it reflects light.

– Diffuse reflection is reflection from a rough, texture
surface such as paper or unpolished wood.
– Specular reflection is reflection from a smooth, shiny
surface such as a mirror or a water surface.

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 Section 2 Flat Mirrors
Chapter 13

Reflection of Light, continued

• The angle of incidence is the the angle between a
ray that strikes a surface and the line perpendicular to
that surface at the point of contact.

• The angle of reflection is the angle formed by the

line perpendicular to a surface and the direction in
which a reflected ray moves.

• The angle of incidence and the angle of reflection are

always equal.

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 Section 2 Flat Mirrors
Chapter 13

Angle of Incidence and Angle of Reflection

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Visual Concept

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 Section 2 Flat Mirrors
Chapter 13

Flat Mirrors
• Flat mirrors form virtual images that are the same
distance from the mirror’s surface as the object is.

• The image formed by rays that appear to come from

the image point behind the mirror—but never really
do—is called a virtual image.

• A virtual image can never be displayed on a physical

surface.

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 Section 2 Flat Mirrors
Chapter 13

Image Formation by a Flat Mirror

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 Section 2 Flat Mirrors
Chapter 13

Comparing Real and Virtual Images

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Visual Concept

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Preview
• Objectives
• Concave Spherical Mirrors
• Sample Problem
• Parabolic Mirrors

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Objectives
• Calculate distances and focal lengths using the mirror
equation for concave and convex spherical mirrors.

• Draw ray diagrams to find the image distance and

magnification for concave and convex spherical mirrors.

• Distinguish between real and virtual images.

• Describe how parabolic mirrors differ from

spherical mirrors.

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Concave Spherical Mirrors

• A concave spherical mirror is a mirror whose
reflecting surface is a segment of the inside of a
sphere.

• Concave mirrors can be used to form real images.

• A real image is an image formed when rays of light

actually pass through a point on the image. Real
images can be projected onto a screen.

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Image Formation by a Concave Spherical Mirror

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Concave Spherical Mirrors, continued

• The Mirror Equation relates object distance (p),
image distance (q), and focal length (f) of a spherical
mirror.

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Concave Spherical Mirrors, continued

• The Equation for Magnification relates image height
or distance to object height or distance, respectively.

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Rules for Drawing Reference Rays for Mirrors

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Visual Concept

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Concave Spherical Mirrors, continued

• Ray diagrams can be used for checking values
calculated from the mirror and magnification
equations for concave spherical mirrors.

• Concave mirrors can produce both real and virtual

images.

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Ray Tracing for a Concave Spherical Mirror

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Visual Concept

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Sample Problem
Imaging with Concave Mirrors
A concave spherical mirror has a focal length of
10.0 cm. Locate the image of a pencil that is
placed upright 30.0 cm from the mirror. Find the
magnification of the image. Draw a ray diagram to
confirm your answer.

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Sample Problem, continued

Imaging with Concave Mirrors
1. Determine the sign and magnitude of the focal
length and object size.
f = +10.0 cm p = +30.0 cm
The mirror is concave, so f is positive. The object is
in front of the mirror, so p is positive.

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Sample Problem, continued

Imaging with Concave Mirrors
2. Draw a ray diagram using the rules for drawing
reference rays.

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Sample Problem, continued

Imaging with Concave Mirrors
3. Use the mirror equation to relate the object and
image distances to the focal length.

4. Use the magnification equation in terms of object

and image distances.

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Sample Problem, continued

5. Rearrange the equation to isolate the image
distance, and calculate. Subtract the reciprocal of
the object distance from the reciprocal of the focal
length to obtain an expression for the unknown
image distance.

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Sample Problem, continued

Substitute the values for f and p into the mirror
equation and the magnification equation to find the
image distance and magnification.

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Sample Problem, continued

6. Evaluate your answer in terms of the image
location and size.
The image appears between the focal point (10.0
cm) and the center of curvature (20.0 cm), as
confirmed by the ray diagram. The image is smaller
than the object and inverted (–1 < M < 0), as is also
confirmed by the ray diagram. The image is
therefore real.

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Convex Spherical Mirrors

• A convex spherical mirror is a mirror whose
reflecting surface is outward-curved segment of a
sphere.

• Light rays diverge upon reflection from a convex

mirror, forming a virtual image that is always smaller
than the object.

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Image Formation by a Convex Spherical Mirror

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Sample Problem
Convex Mirrors
An upright pencil is placed in front of a convex
spherical mirror with a focal length of 8.00 cm. An
erect image 2.50 cm tall is formed 4.44 cm behind
the mirror. Find the position of the object, the
magnification of the image, and the height of the
pencil.

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Sample Problem, continued

Convex Mirrors
Given:
Because the mirror is convex, the focal length is
negative. The image is behind the mirror, so q is
also negative.
f = –8.00 cm q = –4.44 cm h’ = 2.50 cm
Unknown:
p=? h=?

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Sample Problem, continued

Convex Mirrors
Diagram:

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Sample Problem, continued

Convex Mirrors
2. Plan
Choose an equation or situation: Use the mirror
equation and the magnification formula.

Rearrange the equation to isolate the unknown:

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Sample Problem, continued

Convex Mirrors
3. Calculate
Substitute the values into the equation and solve:

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Sample Problem, continued

Convex Mirrors
3. Calculate, continued
Substitute the values for p and q to find the magnifi-
cation of the image.

Substitute the values for p, q, and h’ to find the height

of the object.

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Ray Tracing for a Convex Spherical Mirror

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Visual Concept

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Parabolic Mirrors
• Images created by spherical mirrors suffer from
spherical aberration.

• Spherical aberration occurs when parallel rays far

from the principal axis converge away from the
mirrors focal point.

• Parabolic mirrors eliminate spherical aberration. All

parallel rays converge at the focal point of a
parabolic mirror.

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Spherical Aberration and Parabolic Mirrors

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 Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Chapter 13

Reflecting Telescope
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Visual Concept

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 Section 4 Color and Polarization
Chapter 13

Preview
• Objectives
• Color
• Polarization of Light Waves

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 Section 4 Color and Polarization
Chapter 13

Objectives
• Recognize how additive colors affect the color of
light.

• Recognize how pigments affect the color of reflected

light.

• Explain how linearly polarized light is formed and

detected.

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 Section 4 Color and Polarization
Chapter 13

Color
• Additive primary colors produce white light when
combined.

• Light of different colors can be produced by adding

light consisting of the primary additive colors (red,
green, and blue).

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 Section 4 Color and Polarization
Chapter 13

Additive Color Mixing

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Visual Concept

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 Section 4 Color and Polarization
Chapter 13

Color, continued
• Subtractive primary colors filter out all light when
combined.

• Pigments can be produced by combining subtractive

colors (magenta, yellow, and cyan).

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 Section 4 Color and Polarization
Chapter 13

Subtractive Color Mixing

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Visual Concept

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 Section 4 Color and Polarization
Chapter 13

Polarization of Light Waves

• Linear polarization is the alignment of electro-
magnetic waves in such a way that the vibrations of
the electric fields in each of the waves are parallel to
each other.

• Light can be linearly polarized through transmission.

• The line along which light is polarized is called the

transmission axis of that substance.

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 Section 4 Color and Polarization
Chapter 13

Linearly Polarized Light

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 Section 4 Color and Polarization
Chapter 13

Aligned and Crossed Polarizing Filters

Aligned Filters Crossed Filters

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 Section 4 Color and Polarization
Chapter 13

Polarization of Light Waves

• Light can be polarized by reflection and scattering.

• At a particular angle, reflected light is polarized

horizontally.

• The sunlight scattered by air molecules is polarized

for an observer on Earth’s surface.

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 Section 4 Color and Polarization
Chapter 13

Polarization by Reflection and Scattering

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Visual Concept

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