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IGCSE 33 LightWaves
IGCSE 33 LightWaves
Light Waves
Edexcel IGCSE Physics pages 107 to 117
Content applying to Triple Science only is shown in
red type on the next slide and is indicated on
subsequent slides by ‘TRIPLE ONLY’
object image
construction lines
normals (virtual light rays)
AIR GLASS
normal
angle of
angle of refraction
incidence
angle of
refraction
normal
angle of
incidence
WATER AIR
normals
observer
AIR
WATER
image
object at the
bottom of a pool
Complete the paths of the RED light rays:
A
B
C E
F
The refraction equation
When a light ray passes from one
medium to another:
i
n = sin i
sin r
where:
i is the angle of incidence in the
first medium r
white
light
prism spectrum
Choose appropriate words to fill in the gaps below:
Refraction occurs when a wave changes ______
speed as it crosses
the boundary between two regions. The _________
direction of the
wave also usually changes.
Light rays deviate ________
towards the normal when they pass from
less dense air to more dense _________.
perspex The greater the
angle of incidence the greater is the _________.
deviation
Different ______
colours of light deviate by different amounts. Violet
deviates the _____.
most A prism can be used to split the colours
of white light into a spectrum. This is called _________.
dispersion
WORD SELECTION:
towards deviation most dispersion direction perspex speed colours
Total internal reflection
critical angle
Total internal reflection
occurs when:
1.Light is incident on a
boundary between optically
more to less dense substance GLASS
(for example glass to air). AIR
n = 1 GLASS
sin c
AIR
Diffraction of light
Diffraction occurs when waves spread out after
passing through a gap or round an obstacle.
Sea wave diffraction
TRIPLE ONLY
7. (a) What is meant by dispersion? (b) How is it caused? (c) Draw a diagram
(on colour) showing how a prism can disperse white light. (see page 115)
8. Answer the questions on pages 116 and 117.
9. Verify that you can do all of the items listed in the end of chapter checklist
on page 116.