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How does light travel:
Light is a form of energy made of electromagnetic waves. Some of the waves you can see and some you cannot. The entire range of light is called the electromagnetic spectrum. The light you see is referred to as "visible light." Light waves can pass through air, water, glass, or other mediums. These can affect the direction and speed at which light travels though.
Reflection:
Light can be reflected off a shiny surface, for example a mirror. There are two laws of reflection:
· The 1st law of reflection states that the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.
· The 2nd law reflection states that the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection both lie in the same place.
If the surface that is reflecting the light is not completely smooth, it can affect the direction of the light reflection. This happens because the light coming in is hitting the grooves or bumps and this causes the light to reflection at irregular angles or “scatter”. That’s why rougher surfaces do not reflection light well.
Light is a form of energy made of electromagnetic waves. Some of the waves you can see and some you cannot. The entire range of light is called the electromagnetic spectrum. The light you see is referred to as "visible light." Light waves can pass through air, water, glass, or other mediums. These can affect the direction and speed at which light travels though.
Reflection:
Light can be reflected off a shiny surface, for example a mirror. There are two laws of reflection:
· The 1st law of reflection states that the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.
· The 2nd law reflection states that the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection both lie in the same place.
If the surface that is reflecting the light is not completely smooth, it can affect the direction of the light reflection. This happens because the light coming in is hitting the grooves or bumps and this causes the light to reflection at irregular angles or “scatter”. That’s why rougher surfaces do not reflection light well.
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Refraction:
Refraction occurs when light moves from one medium to another. As light changes mediums, it changes both speed and direction. A medium is any substance that light can travel through. eg. air, glass, diamond, water, etc. Refraction can cause an object to look distorted too.
Refraction occurs when light moves from one medium to another. As light changes mediums, it changes both speed and direction. A medium is any substance that light can travel through. eg. air, glass, diamond, water, etc. Refraction can cause an object to look distorted too.
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Absorption:
Absorption is when the light stops at the object and does not reflect or refract. Objects appear dark or opaque. Examples of absorption is when light hits wood. The wood absorbs the light and does not reflect or refract the light back.
Absorption is when the light stops at the object and does not reflect or refract. Objects appear dark or opaque. Examples of absorption is when light hits wood. The wood absorbs the light and does not reflect or refract the light back.
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The Electromagnetic Spectrum:
The Electromagnetic Spectrum is the distribution of electromagnetic radiation according to energy.
There are 6 different categories of waves in the Electromagnetic Spectrum:
· Gamma rays: Gamma-rays have the smallest wavelengths and the most energy of any other wave in the electromagnetic spectrum. These waves are generated by radioactive atoms and in nuclear explosions. Gamma-rays can kill living cells, a fact which medicine uses to its advantage, using gamma-rays to kill cancerous cells.
· X-rays: X-rays have slightly larger wavelengths Gamma rays. Scientists usually refer to x-rays in terms of their energy rather than their wavelength. This is partially because x-rays have very small wavelengths, between 0.03 and 3 manometers, so small that some x-rays are no bigger than a single atom of many elements.
· Ultraviolet: Ultraviolet (UV) light has shorter wavelengths than visible light. Though these waves are invisible to the human eye, some insects, like bumblebees, can see them. Scientists have divided the ultraviolet part of the spectrum into three regions: the near ultraviolet, the far ultraviolet, and the extreme ultraviolet. The three regions are distinguished by how energetic the ultraviolet radiation is, and by the "wavelength" of the ultraviolet light, which is related to energy.
· Visible Light: Visible light waves are the only electromagnetic waves we can see. We see these waves as the colours of the rainbow. Each colour has a different wavelength. Red has the longest wavelength (0.7) and violet has the shortest wavelength (0.4). When all the waves are seen together, they make white light. When white light shines through a prism, the white light is broken apart into the colours of the visible light spectrum. Water vapour in the atmosphere can also break apart wavelengths creating a rainbow.
· Infra-red: Infrared light lies between the visible and microwave portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Infrared light has a range of wavelengths, just like visible light has wavelengths that range from red light to violet. Far infrared waves are thermal. The heat that we feel from sunlight, a fire or a radiator is infrared.
· Microwaves: These are one of the longest waves in the Electromagnetic Spectrum, and can be measured in centimetres. The longer microwaves, those closer to a foot in length, are the waves which heat our food in a microwave oven. Microwaves are good for transmitting information from one place to another because microwave energy can penetrate haze, light rain and snow, clouds, and smoke. Shorter microwaves are used in remote sensing.
· Radio waves: Radio waves have the longest wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum. These waves can be longer than a football field or as short as a football. Radio waves do more than just bring music to your radio. They also carry signals for your television and cellular phones.
The Electromagnetic Spectrum is the distribution of electromagnetic radiation according to energy.
There are 6 different categories of waves in the Electromagnetic Spectrum:
· Gamma rays: Gamma-rays have the smallest wavelengths and the most energy of any other wave in the electromagnetic spectrum. These waves are generated by radioactive atoms and in nuclear explosions. Gamma-rays can kill living cells, a fact which medicine uses to its advantage, using gamma-rays to kill cancerous cells.
· X-rays: X-rays have slightly larger wavelengths Gamma rays. Scientists usually refer to x-rays in terms of their energy rather than their wavelength. This is partially because x-rays have very small wavelengths, between 0.03 and 3 manometers, so small that some x-rays are no bigger than a single atom of many elements.
· Ultraviolet: Ultraviolet (UV) light has shorter wavelengths than visible light. Though these waves are invisible to the human eye, some insects, like bumblebees, can see them. Scientists have divided the ultraviolet part of the spectrum into three regions: the near ultraviolet, the far ultraviolet, and the extreme ultraviolet. The three regions are distinguished by how energetic the ultraviolet radiation is, and by the "wavelength" of the ultraviolet light, which is related to energy.
· Visible Light: Visible light waves are the only electromagnetic waves we can see. We see these waves as the colours of the rainbow. Each colour has a different wavelength. Red has the longest wavelength (0.7) and violet has the shortest wavelength (0.4). When all the waves are seen together, they make white light. When white light shines through a prism, the white light is broken apart into the colours of the visible light spectrum. Water vapour in the atmosphere can also break apart wavelengths creating a rainbow.
· Infra-red: Infrared light lies between the visible and microwave portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Infrared light has a range of wavelengths, just like visible light has wavelengths that range from red light to violet. Far infrared waves are thermal. The heat that we feel from sunlight, a fire or a radiator is infrared.
· Microwaves: These are one of the longest waves in the Electromagnetic Spectrum, and can be measured in centimetres. The longer microwaves, those closer to a foot in length, are the waves which heat our food in a microwave oven. Microwaves are good for transmitting information from one place to another because microwave energy can penetrate haze, light rain and snow, clouds, and smoke. Shorter microwaves are used in remote sensing.
· Radio waves: Radio waves have the longest wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum. These waves can be longer than a football field or as short as a football. Radio waves do more than just bring music to your radio. They also carry signals for your television and cellular phones.