In this vacuum tube, a narrow beam of

electrons is fired by an electron gun. The

electron beam passes through a carbon
in the form of graphite, which acts as the
diffraction grating. When the electron
beam hits the phosphor screen, the
screen glows. The interatomic spacing in
the carbon causes the electrons to
diffract, producing ring patterns in the
screen.

Explore
It took scientists a long time to reconcile the dual nature of light, which led to the idea of the duality of matter.
To further see an evidence of this concept, try to observe the smoke coming from a barbecue grill. From a
distance, you will see a wave flow of smoke going up, but look closely into it, what do you see? Does your
observation tell something about the dual nature of matter?

What do you think?

Aside from diffraction, what are the other characteristics of a wave that differentiates it from a particle?

Key Points
• In 1924, French physicist Louis de Broglie postulated that a particle, like an electron, may also behave
like a wave.
• The de Broglie wavelength shows that the wavelength of a particle is related to Planck’s constant and
is inversely proportional to its momentum.
• Electron is one of the subatomic particles in an atom that has a wave-like behavior. The experiments
done by Clinton Davisson and Lester Germer in 1927 showed that it can be bent or diffracted, a
characteristic behavior of waves.

WEEK 4.2 – Dispersion, Scattering, Interference, and Diffraction of Light

Objective
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
• Differentiate dispersion, scattering, interference, and diffraction
Light is a wave and a particle at the same time; as a wave, it can be dispersed, scattered, interfered, and
diffracted.

Learn about it!

Dispersion
Dispersion is the separation of white light into its seven
color components when there is a refraction or bending of
light. White light is composed of the different color
spectrum: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and
violet. Each color has its own wave frequency; different
light frequencies bend at different amounts when they pass
through a prism. When white light passes through a prism,
it will refract two times making the separation of the colors
noticeable.

Light Scattering
Light scattering is the ability of particles to absorb light and scatter it in all directions. Scattering of light
components depends on the size of the particles or scatterers; small particles scatter components of short
wavelengths (high frequency) while larger particles scatter longer wavelengths (low frequency).
Our atmosphere is composed of tiny particles that scatter the color components of white light. The atmosphere
has an abundance in nitrogen and oxygen particles, which can scatter higher frequency components of white
light. They scatter violet the most, followed by blue, green, and so on. This selective scattering is called
the Rayleigh scattering. Our eyes are more sensitive to blue frequencies of light, which is why we see the sky
as blue.

Another example is the clouds. Clouds appear white because the water droplets in the clouds are larger than
the wavelength of light which scatter all the colors of light equally. This type of scattering is known as Mie
scattering.

Diffraction
Diffraction is the bending of light when it encounters an
obstacle or an opening. A shadow is usually formed when
light meets an obstacle. The bending of light is not very
much noticeable, but when you look around the edges of a
shadow, you will notice blurred areas or diffraction fringes;
these are the areas where diffraction of light occurs.
The amount of diffraction depends on the wavelength of light
and the size of the obstacle. Also, the smaller the opening,
the greater is the diffraction of light as shown in diagrams
A, B, and C below. The longer the wavelength, the greater is
the diffraction of light as shown in diagrams D and E below.
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Example
Diffraction effects are sometimes not helpful when viewing objects under the microscope. When the wavelength
of light has the same size as the object, diffraction blurs the image. When the wavelength of light is larger than
the size of the object, there is no image seen.

Interference
Interference is the result of the superposing of waves from different sources. If you examine a shadow formed
by the diffraction of light, you will see fringes on the edge of the shadow. These fringes or the interference of
light waves are the result of the diffraction of light at different sides of the objects or obstacle which causes the
shadow to be fuzzy. When this property was observed in the visible light, it was considered as a clear proof of
the wave nature of light.

Constructive and Destructive Interference

Constructive interference happens when two identical
parts of two waves meet such as a crest of one wave
meets the crest of another wave of the same wavelength;
this would result in a new wave with the same
wavelength but twice the amplitude.
Destructive interference happens when two opposite parts
of two waves meet for example a crest of one wave meets the
trough of another wave which would result in the cancellation
of the two waves.

The image below shows diffraction of light from two

sources or openings. As the waves from these two
openings meet, they interfere and produce interference
patterns. The bright fringes are the areas where the
waves interfere constructively, while the dark
fringes are the areas where the waves interfere
destructively.

Explore
A rainbow is a phenomenon that involves the dispersion of light which results in a visible spectrum. It usually
occurs after a rain shower when there is huge amount of water droplets suspended in the atmosphere. Is it
possible to see two rainbows at the same time?

Try it!
Try to see diffraction and interference by holding two pencil leads side by side then shine a laser beam on the
slits and project the image on a wall. Describe what you see. Can you distinguish interference from diffraction?

What do you think?

How do dispersion, scattering, interference, and diffraction of light prove the wave nature of light?

Key Points
A. Dispersion is the separation of white light into its seven color components when there is a refraction or
bending of light. When white light passes through a prism, it will refract two times, making the
separation of the colors noticeable.
B. Light scattering is the ability of particles to absorb light and scatter it in all directions.
C. Diffraction is the bending of light when it encounters an obstacle or an opening.
D. Interference is the result of the superposing of waves from different sources.
E. Constructive interference happens when two identical parts of two waves meet, such as when a crest
of one wave meets the crest of another wave of the same wavelength.
F. Destructive interference happens when two opposite parts of two waves meet, for example a crest of
one wave meets the trough of another wave, resulting in the cancellation of the two waves.

ASSESSMENT

1. Who among the following theorized that a particle can also exhibit wave characteristics?
A. Louis de Broglie B. Clinton Davisson C. Lester Germer D. Albert Einstein
2. Which property of a wave was observed in the behavior of electrons in Davisson and Germer’s
experiment using recrystallized nickel?
A. Interference B. Diffraction C. Polarization D. Reflection
3. Which of the following is the characteristic of the nickel crystal that made the electrons to diffract
in Davisson and Germer's experiment?
A. The interatomic spacing of the nickel crystal is greater than the wavelength of electron.
B. The interatomic spacing of the nickel crystal is lesser than the wavelength of electron.
C. The interatomic spacing of the nickel crystal is of the same size as the wavelength of electron.
D. Electrons are not bent when they pass through the nickel crystal.
4. Which of the following best explains why the experimental setup of Davisson and Germer should be
placed in a vacuum chamber?
A. To prevent the protons from hitting other molecules.
B. To prevent the neutrons from hitting other molecules.
C. To prevent the electrons from hitting other molecules.
D. To prevent the nickel crystal from hitting other molecules.
5. In Davisson and Germer's experiment, which of the following best describes the area where a peak in
the intensity of scattered beam of electrons was observed?
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 A. It is the area where destructive interference occurs.
B. It is the area where constructive diffraction occurs.
C. It is the area where destructive diffraction occurs.
D. It is the area where constructive interference occurs.
6. After recrystallizing the nickel Davisson and Germer used in their experiment, it was the time when
they found significant results wherein the electrons produced a diffraction pattern. Which of the
following best explains the observed significant results?
A. Recrystallizing the nickel made large holes that diffracted the electrons.
B. Recrystallizing the nickel made it a stronger target and diffracted the electrons.
C. Recrystallizing the nickel made it a weaker target and diffracted the electrons.
D. Recrystallizing the nickel made small holes that diffracted the electrons.
7. Which of the following best describes the pattern those electrons produce on a screen when they pass
through a double-slit barrier that exhibit their wave-like nature?
A. Two-band pattern B. Interference pattern of bright fringes
C. Interference pattern of bright and dark fringes D. Interference pattern of dark fringes
8. Which of the following refers to the separation of white light into its component colors when it is
refracted?
A. Dispersion B. Diffraction C. Scattering D. Interference
9. In which of the following phenomena can diffraction of light be observed?
A. shadows B. rainbows C. blue sky D. white clouds
10. Which of the following must occur to produce a wave that has the same wavelength but twice the
amplitude of the two waves that meet?
A. Constructive interference should occur where opposite parts of two different waves meet.
B. Constructive interference where identical parts of two different waves meet.
C. Destructive interference should occur where opposite parts of two different waves meet.
D. Destructive interference should occur where identical parts of two different waves meet.
11. Which of the following BEST describes the relationship between the amount of diffraction and size
of the obstacle?
A. The larger the size of the obstacle, the greater is the diffraction.
B. The size of the obstacle does not affect the amount of diffraction.
C. The amount of diffraction depends only on the wavelength of light.
D. The smaller the size of the obstacle, the greater is the diffraction.
12. Which of the following BEST explain why the sky is blue?
A. The atmosphere is composed of tiny particles that scatter components of light with shorter wavelengths.
Blue is a component of light that has short wavelength and is scattered easily by particles of the
atmosphere.
B. The atmosphere is composed of tiny particles that scatter components of light with longer wavelengths.
C. Blue is a component of light that has long wavelength and is scattered easily by particles of the
atmosphere.
D. The atmosphere is composed of tiny particles that scatter components of light with larger wavelengths.
13. Which of the following BEST explain why light is dispersed when it passes through a prism?
A. The speed of light does not change as it travels from air to the prism.
B. The speed of light remains constant as it travels from air to the prism.
C. The colors of light have different frequencies; thus, they are refracted by the same amount.
D. The speed of light changes as it travels from air to the prism. The colors of light have different
frequencies; thus, they are refracted at different amounts producing ROYGBIV.
14. Which of the following BEST explain why clouds are white?
A. The water droplets in the clouds are larger than the wavelength of light. All the components of light are
scattered equally by the water droplets; thus, we see white light.
B. The water droplets in the clouds are smaller than the wavelength of light.
C. The water droplets in the clouds are smaller than the wavelength of light.
D. Only white light is scattered by the water droplets; thus, we see white light.
15. Which of the following BEST explain why diffraction is sometimes not helpful when viewing objects
under the microscope?
A. When the wavelength of light is smaller than the size of the object, there is no image seen.
B. When the wavelength of light is smaller as the object, there is no image seen.
C. When the wavelength of light has the same size as the object, diffraction blurs the image.
D. Diffraction of light helps magnify the size of the object observed under the microscope.

4
 QUARTER 4 – PHYSICAL SCIENCE
WEEK 5.1 – Light Phenomena I
Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to explain various light phenomena such as:
• reflection on the concave and convex sides of a spoon;
• mirages;
• light from a red laser passes more easily through red cellophane than green cellophane;
• clothing of certain colors appear different in artificial light and in sunlight;
• dark rainclouds; and
• red sunsets.
How do different light phenomena occur?

Learn about it!

Reflection on a Spoon
The two surfaces of a metal spoon are examples of a curved mirror. The front of the spoon that curves
inward represents a concave mirror while the back part which bulges outward is the convex mirror. When you
try to look into the front part of the spoon, you will see a smaller and inverted version of yourself. On the other
hand, if you look at the back part of the spoon, you will see a smaller but upright image of yourself. Why is this
so?
Your image appears differently on both parts of the spoon because light reflects differently upon hitting
the concave and convex mirrors. When light rays hit the surface of a concave mirror, the rays tend to meet or
converge at the focal point of the mirror creating a real and inverted image. When light rays strike a convex
mirror, the rays tend to scatter or diverge from the focal point. This means the real rays will not meet and create
the image but the imaginary ones will converge and create the virtual and upright image.

Mirage
Have you ever experienced seeing a puddle of water
where the sky is reflected on an asphalt road a few meters
in front of you while walking on a hot sunny day? And then
when you pass over that part where the water is supposed
to be, there was none? This is referred to as heat haze or a
highway mirage.
A mirage is an optical phenomenon which creates a
displaced image of an object due to refraction of light. This
happens because the air just above the asphalt road has a
higher temperature than the layer of air above it. The
differences in temperature cause differences in optical densities or refractive indices of the different layers of
air which bends or refracts light.
The image below is another example of a mirage. The sunlight that hits the tree is reflected towards the
observer's eyes. Some reflected light rays that do not pass through layers of air with differences in temperature
reach the observer's eyes without bending (represented by the straight arrow coming from the tree to the
observer).
On the other hand, other reflected light rays will have to travel through the layers of air with different
temperatures. The differences in the temperature of the layers of air bends or refracts the reflected light rays
(represented by the curved broken line coming from the tree to the observer). The refracted light rays produce
a displaced image of the tree or a mirage (represented by the broken straight line coming from the observer's
eyes to the ground).

Filter
A filter can either be a colored glass or cellophane that absorbs certain frequencies of visible light and
transmits a particular color frequency that matches the filter's natural frequency. Light transmission occurs
when a transparent object allows light to pass through it.
When white light hits a blue glass, the glass will absorb all the color frequencies except for blue. When
a red laser hits a red cellophane, the cellophane will transmit red because their frequencies match. On the other
hand, when a red laser hits a green cellophane, the cellophane will absorb the red light instead of transmitting
it because their frequencies do not match.

Objects Under Sunlight and Artificial Light

The color of an object that we see depends on the reflected color frequency of visible light that reaches
our eyes. Different objects absorb and reflect different color frequencies. For example, the petals of a yellow bell
appears yellow because the petals absorb all the color frequencies of white light except for yellow which is
reflected. The reflected yellow light reaches our eyes that makes us see the color of the petals.
Objects reflect certain color frequencies based on the source that illuminates them. Incandescent light
bulbs emit lower frequency colors such as red, orange, and yellow. Thus, the objects with these colors are
enhanced under the incandescent light. On the other hand, higher frequency colors, such as blue, are emitted
by fluorescent light bulbs. This means that a red shirt will appear redder under an incandescent light than in
a fluorescent light. In the same way, a blue shirt will appear bluer under a fluorescent light. We see the objects'
"true" colors when they are illuminated by sunlight or daylight.

1
Dark Rain Clouds
From the previous lesson, you have learned that clouds appear white because the water droplets in the
clouds scatter all the color frequencies of white light equally. On the other hand, rain clouds appear dark
because they are too thick that sunlight needs to pass through a lot of water droplets and be absorbed before
it can reach the observer’s eye.

Reddish Sunsets
Recall that the atmospheric particles scatter higher
frequency light which makes the sky appear blue. In a similar
way, sunsets appear red because sunlight travels a greater
distance as it reaches the horizon and encounters more
atmospheric particles, scattering higher frequencies of light
until only the red light is left.

What do you think?

How do other light phenomena such as haloes, sundogs, primary rainbows, secondary rainbows, and
supernumerary bows occur?

Key Points
• The front of the spoon that curves inward represents a concave mirror while the back part which bulges
outward is the convex mirror.
• A mirage is an optical phenomenon which creates a displaced image of an object due to refraction of
light.
• A filter can either be a colored glass or cellophane that absorbs certain frequencies of visible light and
transmits a particular color frequency that matches the filter's natural frequency.
• Light transmission occurs when a transparent object allows light to pass through it.
• Different objects absorb and reflect different color frequencies.
• Objects reflect certain color frequencies based on the source that illuminates them.
• Incandescent light bulbs emit lower frequency colors such as red, orange, and yellow.
• Fluorescent light bulbs emit higher frequency colors like blue.
• Rain clouds appear dark because they are too thick that sunlight needs to pass through a lot of water
droplets and be absorbed before it can reach the observer’s eye.
• Sunsets appear red because sunlight travels a greater distance as it reaches the horizon and encounters
more atmospheric particles, scattering higher frequencies of light until only the red light is left.

ASSESSMENT
1. What property of light is responsible for the occurrence of a mirage?
A. Refraction B. Reflection C. Scattering D. Dispersion
2. It is a material that only allows specific color of light to pass through it.
A. Clay B. Filter C. Wood D. Metal
3. In which of the following will a yellow flower appear yellow when observed behind it?
A. Blue Glass B. Red Glass C. Yellow Glass D. Green Glass
4. Which side of the spoon is like a convex mirror?
A. The front part that curves inward.
B. The back part that curves inward.
C. Either side of the spoon can be a convex mirror.
D. The back part that bulges outward.
5. Which of the following best explains why clothes of a certain color appear differently under daylight
and incandescent light?
A. Incandescent light emits color of lower frequency light more than the higher frequency colors.
B. Incandescent light emits color of higher frequency light more than the lower frequency colors.
C. Daylight emits color of lower frequency light more than the higher frequency colors.
D. Daylight emits color of higher frequency light more than the lower frequency colors.
6. Which of the following best explain why rain clouds are dark?
i. Rain clouds contain a lot of water droplets which absorb all the frequencies of light.
ii. When light is absorbed in the rain clouds, nothing reaches the observer’s eye.
iii. Rain clouds contain a lot of water droplets which reflect all the frequencies of light.
iv. When light is reflected in the rain clouds, nothing reaches the observer’s eye.
A. i and iv B. I and ii C. i and iii D. ii and iii
7. Which of the following best explain why sunsets appear red?
i. Sunlight travels a greater distance as it reaches the horizon encountering lesser atmospheric particles.
ii. Atmospheric particles scatter lower frequency light until only the red light is left.
iii. Sunlight travels a greater distance as it reaches the horizon encountering more atmospheric particles.
iv. Atmospheric particles scatter higher frequency light until only the red light is left.
A. i and iv B. i and ii C. iii and iv D. ii and iii
8. Which of the following best describes an image that is produced by the front of the spoon?
a. real and upright b. real and inverted
c. virtual and inverted d. virtual and upright

2
9. Arrange the following processes to explain how a mirage is formed.
i. The sunlight that hits an object is reflected off to the observer's eyes.
ii. Some of the reflected rays travel in a straight line to the observer's eyes.
iii. Some of the reflected light rays travel through layers of air with different temperatures.
iv. Different temperatures of the layers of air cause light to be refracted creating a displaced image of the
object.
A. i, iii, iv, ii B. i, iv, ii, iii C. i, ii, iii, iv D. i, iii, ii, iv
10. Your friend looks at his reflection on a spoon. He describes his image as upright. On which side of
the spoon is he observing his image?
A. Back part B. Either back or front part
C. Spoons do not reflect light. D. Front part

WEEK 5.1 – Light Phenomena II

Objective
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to explain various light phenomena such as:
• Haloes;
• Sundogs;
• primary rainbows;
• secondary rainbows; and
• supernumerary rainbows.
How do haloes, sundogs, primary rainbows, secondary rainbows, and supernumerary bows occur?

Learn about it!

Haloes
Solar halo, which is also called gloriole, ice bow or nimbus, is a light
phenomenon that happens when light shines through clouds that are composed
of ice crystals. Light refracts upon passing through the ice crystals and reflects
upon hitting the crystal’s faces; these events cause the formation of the bright
ring around the Sun or Moon. Halo is usually bright white ring but may also
have colors due to the dispersion of light upon striking the ice crystals. Below
is a picture of a halo produced around the Sun.

Sundogs
Sundogs, or parhelion (with the sun),
happen due to the refraction of light upon
hitting the small crystals that make up
cirrus or cirrostratus clouds. These
crystals are hexagonal in shape and with
faces almost horizontal upon drifting;
these cause the formation of spots of light
(sundog) on either side of the Sun, or the
Moon, when light strikes them at a
minimum angle of 22 degrees as shown in
the image below. Since red light is the
least refracted compared to blue this makes the inner edge of a sundog to be red hued.
The image below shows an actual sundog which has a red-hued inner edge.

Learn about it!

Rainbows
A rainbow is a light phenomenon formed from the combination of several light properties like refraction,
reflection, and dispersion. Rainbows are usually seen after rainfall because they are formed when light strikes
the scattered raindrops in the atmosphere.
As shown in the image below, light is refracted upon hitting a raindrop that serves as the prism. Due to
the differences in the frequency of the colors of visible light, they are refracted at different amounts and are
dispersed. The dispersed colors reflect upon hitting the other side of the raindrop and then refracted again as
they go out. The colors go out dispersed and reach the observer’s eyes.

What do you think?

Have you seen colors formed when gasoline spills on the ground? Can this be considered as rainbow formation?
Why or why not?

Key Points
• Haloes are light phenomena which are formed when light passes through clouds and strikes the ice
crystals in them.
• Haloes are bright ring which can be colored, or just plain white light formed around the sun or moon.
Sundogs are spots of light formed on either side of the sun or moon which is formed when light strikes
the hexagonal ice crystals whose faces are aligned horizontally.
• Due to the dispersion of light upon passing through the ice crystal, sundogs can be seen with red colored
inner edge since red is the least refracted color.

3
 • Rainbow is usually after a rain shower and with sun shining.
• Primary rainbow is formed when light hits a raindrop, refracted and single reflection happens inside the
raindrop.
• Secondary rainbows are formed when two inner reflections are done instead of one; this causes the
reversal of colors in a secondary rainbow in comparison to a primary rainbow.
• Supernumerary rainbows are formed when light strikes small raindrops with almost the same size.
These are bands of green, pink, and purple colors found inside the primary rainbow.

ASSESSMENT
1. What other names are used to mean the light phenomenon halo? Choose all that apply.
A. Rainbow B. Gloriole C. Ice Bow D. Nimbus
2. Which of the following correctly describes how a halo looks like?
A. Bright ring formed around the sun or moon.
B. Bright spots of light formed in either side of the sun or moon.
C. An arc of colors that forms opposite the sun.
D. An arc of light composed of green, pink, and purple colors.
3. In the formation of sundogs, how should the ice crystals (which light strikes at an angle 22 degrees)
be oriented as they drift?
A. The ice crystals are oriented horizontally.
B. The ice crystals are oriented vertically.
C. The ice crystals are oriented diagonally to the right.
D. The ice crystals are oriented diagonally to the left.
4. Why is the inner edge of a sundog red hued?
A. The inner edge of sundog is red hued because red is the color that is refracted the least.
B. The inner edge of sundog is red hued because red is the color that is refracted the most.
C. The inner edge of sundog is red hued because red is the color that is reflected the most.
D. The inner edge of sundog is red hued because red is the color that is reflected the least.
5. What light phenomenon is seen usually after a rain shower when the atmosphere is filled with tiny
droplets of water?
A. Rainbow B. Sundog C. Halo D. Parhelion
6. What rainbow is formed when light refract upon hitting a droplet of water and a single internal
reflection occurs in a droplet?
A. Primary Rainbow B. Secondary Rainbow
C. Supernumerary Rainbow D. Tertiary Rainbow
7. Which of the following correctly distinguishes a primary rainbow and a secondary rainbow?
A. The colors in the secondary rainbow are in the reverse arrangement compared to the colors in the
primary rainbow.
B. The secondary rainbow is fainter compared to the primary rainbow.
C. The secondary rainbow is wider compared to the primary rainbow.
D. The secondary rainbow is as high as the primary rainbow from the ground.
8. What causes the reverse of the colors in a secondary rainbow as compared to a primary rainbow?
A. Secondary rainbow is formed when two internal reflections occur causing the reverse of the colors as
compared to primary rainbow where single internal reflection happens.
B. Secondary rainbow is wider and fainter making the colors in reverse arrangement.
C. Secondary rainbow is formed when single internal reflection occurs causing the reverse of the colors as
compared to primary rainbow where two internal reflections happen.
D. Secondary rainbow is formed in front of a primary rainbow which makes the colors in reverse
arrangement.
9. What condition must be satisfied in order for supernumerary rainbow to be formed?
A. Light must strike small droplets of water with different sizes.
B. Light must strike small droplets of water with almost the same sizes.
C. Light must strike droplets of water with various sizes.
D. Light must strike droplets of water with the same altitude from the ground.
10. How are supernumerary rainbows unlike primary and secondary rainbow?
A. Supernumerary rainbow is not composed of the seven colors.
B. Supernumerary rainbow does not form an arc.
C. Supernumerary rainbow is not after a rain shower.
D. Supernumerary rainbow is seen on the same side of the source of light.