WAVES - LIGHT

IB PHYSICS | UNIT 7 | WAVES - LIGHT

 7.1

Light and the EM Spectrum

IB PHYSICS | UNIT 7 | WAVES - LIGHT
 Frequency and Light

Pitch
Change in Frequency
Sound _______
Color
Change in Frequency
Light _______
Frequency and Light
Speed of Electromagnetic Waves
In a vacuum All electromagnetic waves travel at:

c = 299,792,458 m s -1

c = 3.00 × 108 m s-1

Speed of Electromagnetic Waves
 Try this…
The sun is roughly 149,600,000 km from
Earth, how long has the light from the sun
been traveling before it gets here?
𝑣 149,600,000,000 m
𝑡= =
𝑑 3.00 × 108 m s −1

𝑡 = 499 s = 8.31 min

 Light Equation
You already know the wave speed equation

v=fλ

Works the same for electromagnetic waves

c=fλ
Electromagnetic Waves
Transverse
? or ?
Longitudinal
Electromagnetic Spectrum

Visible light is just part of the picture…

 Try this…
How far between antinodes of a 2450 MHz
standing wave in a microwave?
Electromagnetic Spectrum
Not everything makes it to Earth
Gamma Rays

Wavelength: 10-12 m | 1 pm
X-Rays

Wavelength: 10-10 m | 10 nm
Ultraviolet

Wavelength: 10-8 m | 10 nm
Visible Light

Wavelength: 0.5 × 10-12 m | 500 nm

Infrared

Wavelength: 10-5 m | 0.01 mm

Microwaves

Wavelength: 10-2 m | 1 cm
Radiowaves

Wavelength: 103 m | 1 km
Wireless Data Transfer
 Wireless Data Transfer
• Garage door openers, alarm systems, etc: 40MHz
• Baby monitors: 49MHz
• Radio controlled toys: 27-75MHz
• Cell phones: 824-849MHz, 869-894MHz, 1850-1990MHz
• Public safety (fire, police, ambulance): 849-869MHz
• Global Positioning System: 1.227-1.575MHz
• Satellite radio: 2.3GHz
• WiFi/802.11b/g and Bluetooth: 2.4GHz
• Microwave ovens: 2.4Ghz
• TV: 54-216 (VHF 2-13), 470-806MHz (UHF 14-69)
 Can you name them? You should.
A Radio
B Microwaves
C Infrared
D Visible
E Ultraviolet
F X-Rays
G Gamma
Wavefronts
The farther you get from
the source, the wave is
spread out over more
area and the intensity
(amplitude) drops.
Amplitude and Intensity
𝐼 ∝ 𝑥 −2
 Amplitude and Intensity
How much brighter is a light if you go
from 21 meters away to 7 meters away?

3x Closer
9x Brighter

−2
𝐼 ∝𝑥
 Amplitude and Intensity
How much quieter does it get if you move
from the front of the stage (5 meters away)
to sit farther back (20 meters away)?
20 m away

5 m away

4x Further Away
1/16 of the Intensity
IB Physics Data Booklet
 7.2

Reflection & Refraction

IB PHYSICS | UNIT 7 | WAVES - LIGHT
 Warm Up #1 c = 3.00 × 108 m s-1

What is the wavelength of a 5.0 × 109 Hz microwave?

𝑐 3.00 × 108
𝑐 = 𝑓𝜆 𝜆= = 9
= 0.06 m
𝑓 5.0 × 10
What is the frequency of a radio wave with a
wavelength of 24 meters?
𝑐 3.00 × 108
𝑓= = = 12,500,000 Hz
𝜆 24
= 12.5 MHz
 Warm Up #2
A Radio
B Microwaves
C Infrared
D Visible
E Ultraviolet
F X-Rays
G Gamma
 Reflection
Incidence = Angle of _______________
Angle of ______________ Reflection

Normal Line (⟂ to surface)

Reflection

Virtual
Image
 Predict
Can this person see their feet in the mirror?

No
If the angle of reflection equals the
angle of incidence, the light can never
reflect from their feet into their eyes
 “Full Length” Mirrors
How do I use the reflections off of a mirror to see my full reflection?
What parts of the mirror are being used? Does it change

45 cm

207 cm
Same mirror size
and placement for
any distance
 Not every surface is a flat mirror
Even surfaces that seem nice and flat are often textured

Diffuse Reflection
 Retro-reflective Mirrors
Light always reflects directly back to the source
Retro-reflective Mirrors
 Colors
We perceive colors in objects depending on how different
wavelengths are reflected
 Refraction

Bends because of a change in medium

 Speed of Light
In a vacuum all electromagnetic waves travel at:
c = 299,792,458 m/s = 3.00 × 108 m/s

Light slows down when it travels through different mediums

Air 2.999 × 108 m s-1

Water 2.256 × 108 m s-1
Glass 1.974 × 108 m s-1
 Index of Refraction → n
𝑛1 𝑣2 1.52 3.00 × 10 8
= =
𝑛2 𝑣1 1 1.974 × 108
Vacuum 3.00 × 108 m s-1 1
Air 2.999 × 108 m s-1 1.0003 ~ 1
Water 2.256 × 108 m s-1 1.33
Glass 1.974 × 108 m s-1 1.52
 Try This
How fast does light travel through cubic zirconia (n = 2.15)?

𝑛1 𝑣2 1 𝑣2
= =
𝑛2 𝑣1 2.15 3.00 × 108

8 −1
𝑣2 = 1.40 × 10 ms
Refraction Boundary
Bends toward the most
optically dense medium
normal line

n=1
n = 1.33
 Snell’s Law
𝑛1 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃2
=
θ1 𝑛2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃1
n1
n2
θ2
 Snell’s Law - Relationship
What’s the relationship between
index of refraction (n) and the
amount that light bends?
Air
n=1
Air
n=1

Larger difference Water More to less

in index means n = 1.33 optically dense
more bending at will bend away
boundary Water from normal
n = 1.33

Glass
n = 1.52
 IB Physics Data Booklet

𝑛1 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃2 𝑣2 𝑛1 𝑣2 𝑛1 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃2
= = = =
𝑛2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃1 𝑣1 𝑛2 𝑣1 𝑛2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃1
 Try This
While aiming at a marble at the bottom of a
fish tank filled with water (n2 = 1.33), you point 80°
so that you can measure the angle of your n1 = 1
incident rays. What is the angle of refraction?
n2 = 1.33
𝑛1 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃2
=
𝑛2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃1
θ2
𝑛1 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃1
𝜃2 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛−1
𝑛2 Where does it “appear” the marble is?

−1 1sin(80°)
𝜃2 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛 1.33
= 𝟒𝟕. 𝟖°
 7.3

Critical Angle & Polarization

IB PHYSICS | UNIT 7 | WAVES - LIGHT
IB Physics Data Booklet
 Warm Up
If the light travels from air to diamond (n = 2.42) at an
angle of incidence of 34°, find the angle of refraction.

34° 𝑛1 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃2 𝑛1 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃1

= 𝜃2 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛−1
𝑛2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃1 𝑛2
n1 = 1
n2 = 2.42
−1 1sin(34°)
𝜃2 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛 = 𝟏𝟑. 𝟒°
1.33
θ2
 Critical Angle
Critical Angle: θc Angle at which
θ2 = 90° so light
does not escape

θ2 = 90° n2 = 1
θc n1 = 1.33
Beyond the critical angle → total internal reflection
 Critical Angle
𝑛1 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃2 𝑛2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃2
= 𝜃1 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛−1
𝑛2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃1 𝑛1

𝑛2 𝐬𝐢𝐧(𝟗𝟎°) 𝑛2
𝜃𝑐 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛−1 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛 −1
𝑛1 𝑛1
n2 = 1
n1 = 1.33
Note: this only happens when transitioning
from more dense to less dense
 Why does it matter?

Total Internal
Reflection

Snell’s Circle

Fiber Optic Cables for transmitting

information with light
 Try This
What’s the critical angle between glass and air?
1.52 sin(90°)
=
1 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃𝑐
1
𝜃𝑐 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛−1 = 𝟒𝟏. 𝟏°
1.52
n2 = 1
n1 = 1.52
θc
 Light is a Transverse Wave

This isn’t the whole story though…

When unpolarized, light can

be thought of as oscillating
at every perpendicular to
the wave’s motion Diagram of a light ray
coming out of the page
Light is a Transverse Wave

Unpolarized light loses 50%

intensity when passing
through a polarizer
Polarized Light
 Malus’ Law

I0 θ 𝑰 = 𝑰𝟎 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 𝜽
I θ = angle between filters

Same thing as
𝑰 = 𝑰𝟎 (𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽)𝟐
IB Physics Data Booklet
 Loses Intensity Twice

50% loss when

unpolarized light
is polarized

Equation calculates
-50% loss through
subsequent filters
𝐼 = 𝐼0 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 𝜃
 Try This
The intensity of plane polarized light, at 40° to the vertical is I0. After passing
through an analyzer at 60° to the vertical, what is the intensity measured?

𝜃 = 60° − 40° = 20°

2
𝐼 = 𝐼0 𝑐𝑜𝑠 20° = 0.883 𝑰𝟎
88.3% of the
original intensity
This isn’t the only way
What about 3D Movies?
 Try This
Polarized light of intensity I0 is incident on a polarizing filter. The angle between the plane of
polarization of the incident light and the transmission plane of the polarizer is θ. Which graph
shows how the intensity I of the light transmitted through the polarizer varies with θ?

90° → Intensity = 0
cos2 shape
 7.4

Diffraction
IB PHYSICS | UNIT 7 | WAVES - LIGHT
IB Physics Data Booklet
 Warm Up #1
A light ray is incident on an air–diamond boundary. The refractive index of
diamond is greater than 1. Which diagram shows the correct path of the light ray?
 Warm Up #2
After passing through one polarized filter, the intensity of vertically polarized
light is 60 W m-2. What is the angle of the analyzer relative to the vertical if
the intensity observed is 20 W m-2?

𝐼 = 𝐼0 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 𝜃 20 = 60 (cos 𝜃)2

𝐼 = 𝐼0 (cos 𝜃)2 cos 𝜃 = cos −1 20
= 𝟓𝟒. 𝟕°
60

What was the intensity of

the unpolarized light?

120 W m-2
Loses 50% from first filter
Diffraction
Remember Interference?
A
B
C

Constructive:
Path Difference = nλ

C
B
A
Remember Interference?
D
E

Destructive:
Path Difference = (n+½)λ

E
D
 Do you remember??
5m
Two speakers are separated by a distance of 5 meters,
1.9 m
if they emit a coherent sound signal of 850 Hz. If the
3.1 m
speed of sound is 340 m s-1, is this person in a
maximum or minimum location?

𝑣 = 𝑓𝜆
𝑣 340
𝜆= = = 0.4 𝑚
𝑓 850

Path Difference Path Difference = (___) × λ

3.1 – 1.9 = 1.2 m Maximum because result
1.2 is a perfect integer
=𝟑
0.4
Double Slit Experiment
Double Slit Experiment
 Double Slit Experiment

𝜆𝐷 D
𝑠= s
𝑑
s
d
λ → wavelength s
s
 Double Slit Experiment

As wavelength (λ) increases,

𝜆𝐷 s increases
𝑠=
𝑑 As gap (d) increases,

s decreases
 Try This
Blue laser light of wavelength 450 nm is shone on two slits that are 0.1 mm
apart. How far apart are the fringes on a screen placed 5.0 m away?

λ = 450 nm = 450 × 10-9 m (450 × 10−9 )(5)

d = 0.1 mm = 0.1 × 10-3 m
𝑠=
(0.1 × 10−3 )
D=5m
𝑠 = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟐 𝐦
Would red laser light have fringes closer together or farther apart?

As wavelength increases,
Increasing
Wavelength fringes get farther apart
Whole Class Lab
What is the wavelength of the green laser?