Conceptual Physics Fundamentals: Light Waves

Conceptual Physics
Fundamentals
Chapter 13:
LIGHT WAVES
Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley
This lecture will help you

understand:
Electromagnetic Spectrum
Transparent and Opaque Materials
Color
Why the Sky is Blue, Sunsets are Red,
and Clouds are White
Diffraction
Interference of Light
Light Waves
The light of stars that were extinguished
ages ago still reaches us. So it is with great
men who died centuries ago, but still reach
us with the radiations of their personalities.
Kahlil Gibran
Light Waves
Light is the only thing we can see
originates from the accelerated motion of
electrons
electromagnetic phenomenon
Electromagnetic wave
made up of vibrating electric and magnetic
fields
CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
If an electron vibrates up and down 1000 times each

second, it generates an electromagnetic wave with a
A.
B.
C.
D.
period of 1000 seconds.

speed of 1000 m/s.
wavelength of 1000 m.
none of the above
CHECK YOUR ANSWER
If an electron vibrates up and down 1000 times each

second, it generates an electromagnetic wave with a
A.
B.
C.
D.
period of 1000 seconds.

speed of 1000 m/s.
wavelength of 1000 m.
none of the above
Explanation:
The vibrating electron would emit a wave with a frequency of 1000
Hz, which is not in the list above.
Electromagnetic spectrum
classification of electromagnetic waves according to
frequency
lowest frequency of light we can see appears red
highest frequency of light we can see appears violet
higher frequency of light is ultravioletmore energetic and
causes sunburns
beyond are X-ray and gamma ray
no sharp boundary between regions

CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
The electromagnetic spectrum spans waves ranging from
lowest to highest frequencies. The smallest portion of the
electromagnetic spectrum is that of
A.
B.
C.
D.
radio waves.
microwaves.
visible light.
gamma rays.
CHECK YOUR ANSWER
The electromagnetic spectrum spans waves ranging from
lowest to highest frequencies. The smallest portion of the
electromagnetic spectrum is that of
A.
B.
C.
D.
radio waves.
microwaves.
visible light.
gamma rays.
CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
Which of these is fundamentally different from the others?
A.
B.
C.
D.
sound waves
light waves
radio waves
X-rays
CHECK YOUR ANSWER
Which of these is fundamentally different from the others?
A.
B.
C.
D.
sound waves
light waves
radio waves
X-rays
Explanation:
All are electromagnetic waves except sound, which is a
mechanical wave.
Transparent and Opaque

Materials
Light is transmitted similar to sound
light incident on matter forces some electrons in
matter to vibrate

Materials
How light penetrates transparent material
such as glass

Materials
How light penetrates transparent material
such as glass (continued)
electrons or molecules in the glass are forced into
vibration
energy is momentarily absorbed and vibrates the
electrons in the glass
this vibrating electron either emits a photon or
transfers the energy as heat
Time delay between absorption and reemission of
energy of vibrating electrons results in a lower average
speed of light through a transparent material

Materials
Average speed of light through different
materials
vacuumc (300,000,000 m/s)

atmosphereslightly less than c (but rounded off to c)
water0.75 c
glass0.67 c, depending on material
diamond0.41 c

CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
Strictly speaking, the photons of light incident on glass are
A.
B.
C.
D.
also the ones that travel through and exit the other side.
not the ones that travel through and exit the other side.
absorbed and transformed to thermal energy.
diffracted.

CHECK YOUR ANSWER
Strictly speaking, the photons of light incident on glass are
A.
B.
C.
D.
also the ones that travel through and exit the other side.
not the ones that travel through and exit the other side.
absorbed and transformed to thermal energy.
diffracted.
Explanation:
Figure 13.6 illustrates this nicely. The light that exits the glass is not the same light
that begins the process of absorption and re-emission.

CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
Compared with the frequency of illuminating light on a
sheet of transparent plastic, the frequency of light that is
transmitted
A.
B.
C.
D.
is slightly less.
is the same.
is slightly higher.
depends on the type of plastic.

CHECK YOUR ANSWER
Compared with the frequency of illuminating light on a
sheet of transparent plastic, the frequency of light that is
transmitted
A.
B.
C.
D.
is slightly less.
is the same.
is slightly higher.
depends on the type of plastic
Explanation:
Speed of light in plastic may vary, but the frequency transmitted doesnt.

CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
The average speed of light is less in
A.
B.
C.
D.
air before entering glass.

glass.
air after emerging from glass.
none of the above

CHECK YOUR ANSWER
The average speed of light is less in
A.
B.
C.
D.
air before entering glass.

glass.
air after emerging from glass.
none of the above
Atmospheric Window

Materials
Reflection
Light shining on metal forces free electrons in
the metal into vibrations that emit their own light
as reflection.

Materials
Light incident on:
dry surfaces bounces directly to your eye
wet surfaces bounces inside the transparent wet
region, absorbing energy with each bounce, and
reaches your eye darker than from a dry surface
Color
Color
physiological experience
in the eye of the beholder
Color
Each color in a rainbow corresponds to a different
wavelength of electromagnetic spectrum.
Color
Color we see depends on frequency of light
lowest frequencyperceived as red
in between lowest and highest frequency
perceived as colors of the rainbow (red, orange,
yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet)
highest frequencyperceived as violet
beyond violet, invisible ultraviolet (UV)
Color
Selective reflection
We see the color of a rose by the light it
reflects.
Color
Objects reflect light of some frequencies and
absorb the rest.
rose petals absorb most of the light and reflect
red
objects that absorb light and reflect none appear
black
object can reflect only those frequencies present
in the illuminating light
Color
Color of transparent object depends on color
of light it transmits.
colored glass is warmed due to the energy of

absorbed light illuminating the glass
Color
Mixed colored lights
Distribution of solar frequencies is uneven
most intense in yellow-green portion (where our eyes
are most sensitive)
Color
Radiation curve divides into three regions
that match the color receptors in our eyes.
Color
Additive primary colors
red, green, and blue
produce any color in the spectrum
Color
CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
Red, green, and blue light overlap to form
A.
B.
C.
D.
red light.
green light.
blue light.
white light.
Color
CHECK YOUR ANSWER
Red, green, and blue light overlap to form
A.
B.
C.
D.
red light.
green light.
blue light.
white light.
Color
CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
When the color yellow is seen on your TV screen, the

phosphors being activated on the screen are
A.
B.
C.
D.
mainly yellow.
blue and red.
green and yellow.
red and green.
Color
CHECK YOUR ANSWER
When the color yellow is seen on your TV screen, the

phosphors being activated on the screen are
A.
B.
C.
D.
mainly yellow.
blue and red.
green and yellow.
red and green.
Color
CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
A blue object will appear black when illuminated with
A.
B.
C.
D.
blue light.
cyan light.
yellow light.
magenta light.
Color
CHECK YOUR ANSWER
A blue object will appear black when illuminated with
A.
B.
C.
D.
blue light.
cyan light.
yellow light.
magenta light.
Color subtraction
Color
CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
A red rose will not appear red when illuminated only with
A.
B.
C.
D.
red light.
orange light.
white light.
cyan light.
Color
CHECK YOUR ANSWER
A red rose will not appear red when illuminated only with
A.
B.
C.
D.
red light.
orange light.
white light.
cyan light.
3-D glasses use Cyan and Red
Color Printing
Computer monitors emit light, whereas inked paper
absorbs or reflects light
RGB works best for emitting colored light
CMY works best for reflecting colored light
Color Printing
Color Printing
Only three colors of ink (plus black) are used to print color photographs(a)
magenta, (b) yellow, (c) cyan, which when combined produce the colors shown in
(d). The addition of black (e) produces the finished result (f).
Why the Sky is Blue

Why the sky is blue
results of selective scattering of smaller particles
than the wavelength of incident light and
resonances at frequencies higher than scattered
light
the tinier the particle, the higher the frequency of
light it will reemit
Why the Sky is Blue

Why the sky is blue (continued)
due to selective scattering
blue scattered light predominates in our vision
varies in different locations under various conditions
clear dry daymuch deeper blue sky
clear, humid daybeautiful blue sky
lots of dust particles and larger molecules than
nitrogen and oxygen in the atmosphereless blue
sky with whitish appearance
after heavy rainstorm (washing away of airborne
particles)deeper blue sky
Why Sunsets are Red

Light that is least scattered is light of low
frequencies, which best travel through air.
red
orange
yellow
Why Sunsets are Red

CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
A variety of sunset colors is evidence for a variety of
A.
B.
C.
D.
elements in the Sun.

apparent atmosphere thickness.
atmospheric particles.
primary colors.
Why Sunsets are Red

CHECK YOUR ANSWER
A variety of sunset colors is evidence for a variety of
A.
B.
C.
D.
elements in the Sun.

apparent atmosphere thickness.
atmospheric particles.
primary colors.
Why Sunsets are Red

CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
If molecules in the sky scattered orange light instead of

blue light, sunsets would be
A.
B.
C.
D.
orange.
yellow.
green.
blue.
Why Sunsets are Red

CHECK YOUR ANSWER
If molecules in the sky scattered orange light instead of

blue light, sunsets would be
A.
B.
C.
D.
orange.
yellow.
green.
blue.
Explanation:
Of the colors listed, blue is closest to being the complementary color of orange.
Why Clouds are White

Clouds
clusters of various sizes of water droplets
Why Clouds are White

Size of clusters determines scattered
cloud color
tiny clusters produce bluish clouds

slightly large clusters produce greenish clouds
larger clusters produce reddish clouds
overall result is white clouds
slightly larger clusters produce a deep grey
still larger clusters produce raindrops
Diffraction
Diffraction
bending of waves by means other than reflection
and refraction
property of all kinds of waves
seen around edges of many shadows
Diffraction
Waves diffract after passing through a
narrow opening.
Plane waves passing

through openings of
various sizes. The
smaller the opening,
the greater the
bending of the waves
at the edges.
Diffraction
Amount of diffraction depends on wavelength of
the wave compared to the size of the obstruction
that casts the shadow.
Diffraction
Features of diffraction
limitations with focusing images in optical
instruments
object about the same size as wavelength of light,
diffraction blurs
object smaller than wavelength of light, no image
limitations avoided with an electron beam having

extremely short wavelengths
Diffraction
Features of diffraction (continued)
electron microscopes use electric and magnetic
fields to focus and magnify images
better radio reception with long radio waves
for dolphins, use of shorter wavelengths see
finer detailultrasound
Superposition of waves
Interference pattern
caused by interference between a pair of
waves
Interference pattern (continued)
constructive interference produces bright
region where waves reinforce each other
(waves arriving in phase)
destructive interference produces dark region
where waves cancel each other (waves
arriving a half wavelength out of phase)
Detail of interference pattern
CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
The phenomenon of interference occurs for
A.
B.
C.
D.
sound waves.
light waves.
both A and B
neither A nor B
CHECK YOUR ANSWER
The phenomenon of interference occurs for
A.
B.
C.
D.
sound waves.
light waves.
both A and B
neither A nor B
Explanation:
Interference is the property that characterizes waves in general.
Diffraction
Diffraction grating
composed of a large number of close, equally
spaced slits for analyzing light source
produced by spectrometers that disperse white

light into colors
Interference
Interference colors by reflection from thin
films
The thin film of gasoline is just the right thickness to

result in the destructive interference of blue light.
CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
If the thin film of gasoline was a bit thinner, the wavelength

to be cancelled would be
A.
B.
C.
D.
shorter than that of blue.

longer than that of blue.
white.
none of the above
CHECK YOUR ANSWER
If the thin film of gasoline was a bit thinner, the wavelength

to be cancelled would be
A.
B.
C.
D.

white.
none of the above
CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
If violet light were cancelled by the double reflection of
sunlight from gasoline on a wet surface, the resulting color
would likely be
A.
B.
C.
D.
red.
orange.
green.
violet.
CHECK YOUR ANSWER
If violet light were cancelled by the double reflection of
sunlight from gasoline on a wet surface, the resulting color
would likely be
A.
B.
C.
D.
red.
orange.
green.
violet.
Explanation:
Orange is the complementary color of violet.
CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
If you see the color blue reflected in the interference from
gasoline on water, and you lower your head so a greater
angle from the normal results, youll likely see a color
having a wavelength
A.
B.
C.
D.

with a white appearance.
none of the above
CHECK YOUR ANSWER
having a wavelength
A.
B.
C.
D.

none of the above
Explanation:
The path through the gasoline would be longer, and a longer wavelength
would be cancelled. The result of a long wave being cancelled is a
shorter wave.
CHECK YOUR ANSWER
having a wavelength
A.
B.
C.
D.

none of the above
Explanation:
The path through the gasoline would be longer, and a longer wavelength
would be cancelled. The result of a long wave being cancelled is a
shorter wave.
Interference colors
Note the colors in the bubble are subtractive

primariesmagentas, yellows, and cyans.
Color
CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
What can the human eye not see?
A.
B.
C.
D.
infrared radiation
ultraviolet radiation
both A and B
neither A nor B
Color
CHECK YOUR ANSWER
What can the human eye not see?
A.
B.
C.
D.
infrared radiation
ultraviolet radiation
both A and B
neither A nor B
BACKUP
Color
Subtractive primary colors
combination of two of the three additive
primary colors
red + blue = magenta
red + green = yellow
blue + green = cyan
Color
The shadows of the golf ball are subtractive
Magenta (opposite of green)
Cyan (opposite of red)
Yellow (opposite of blue)
Color
Subtractive primaries are complementary to
additive primaries.
magenta + green = white = red + blue + green
yellow + blue = white + red + green + blue
example: color printing
Why the Sky is Blue

CHECK YOUR NEIGHBOR
A white sky is evidence that the atmosphere contains
A.
B.
C.
D.
predominantly small particles.

predominantly large particles.
a mixture of particle sizes.
pollutants.
Why the Sky is Blue

CHECK YOUR ANSWER
A white sky is evidence that the atmosphere contains
A.
B.
C.
D.
predominantly small particles.

predominantly large particles.
a mixture of particle sizes.
pollutants.

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Conceptual Physics

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

This lecture will help you

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

If an electron vibrates up and down 1000 times each

period of 1000 seconds.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

If an electron vibrates up and down 1000 times each

period of 1000 seconds.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

no sharp boundary between regions

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Which of these is fundamentally different from the others?

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Which of these is fundamentally different from the others?

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Transparent and Opaque

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Transparent and Opaque

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Transparent and Opaque

Transparent and Opaque

vacuumc (300,000,000 m/s)

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Transparent and Opaque Materials

Strictly speaking, the photons of light incident on glass are

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Transparent and Opaque Materials

Strictly speaking, the photons of light incident on glass are

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Transparent and Opaque Materials

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Transparent and Opaque Materials

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Transparent and Opaque Materials

The average speed of light is less in

air before entering glass.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Transparent and Opaque Materials

The average speed of light is less in

air before entering glass.

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Transparent and Opaque

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Transparent and Opaque

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley

colored glass is warmed due to the energy of

Copyright 2008 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley