phy_inquiry_ch13

Light and Reflection Section 1
Preview
Section 1 Characteristics of Light
Section 2 Flat Mirrors
Section 3 Curved Mirrors
Section 4 Color and Polarization
© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

What do you think?
• What are electromagnetic waves?

• Are there different types of electromagnetic
waves?
• If so, what are they?
• How are they similar?
• How are they different?
• Do all electromagnetic waves travel at the same
speed?
• If so, what is it?

Electromagnetic (EM) Waves

• Visible light can be separated into a spectrum.
– Red through violet
• Visible light is very small part of a larger
spectrum, the electromagnetic wave spectrum.
• All EM waves travel at the same speed, the
speed of light (c).
– In a vacuum, v = c = 3.00 × 108 m/s (186,000 miles/s).

Electromagnetic (EM) Waves
• Electromagnetic waves
consist of electric and
magnetic fields.
– The fields are mutually
perpendicular.



Electromagnetic Waves
Click below to watch the Visual Concept.
Visual Concept


Classroom Practice Problems

• The middle of the visible spectrum is green light.
Calculate the wavelength for green light if the frequency
is 5.5 x 1014 Hz.
– Answer: 5.4 x 10-7 m or 0.00054 mm
• The middle of the audible spectrum is 1.0 x 104 Hz (10
000 Hz). Calculate the wavelength of this sound in air if
the temperature is 25°C.
– Answer: 0.035 m or 35 mm
• By what factor are the sound waves farther apart than
the light waves?
– 65 000 times

Waves and Rays

• Huygen’s principle states
that each point on a wave
front acts as a source for
new waves.
• The diagram shows five
points on the initial front
sending out waves. These
waves are part of the new
front.

Illumination
• Illumination is measured in lumens (lm).
• Illumination depends on the brightness of the source
and the distance from the source.
– Predict the relationship between illumination and distance.

• It is an inverse square relationship.

Now what do you think?
• What are electromagnetic waves?

• Are there different types of electromagnetic
waves?
• If so, what are they?
• How are they similar?
• How are they different?
• Do all electromagnetic waves travel at the same
speed?
• If so, what is it?

What do you think?
• We use our depth perception to determine the

distance to an object. When you look in a flat
mirror, you see your image.
• How far away does the image appear?
• Is the image at the mirror, farther away than the
mirror, or closer than the mirror?
• Make a sketch showing the following:
• a side view of yourself as a stick figure, the mirror,
and the reflected light that creates the image

What do you think?
• Imagine a small flat mirror mounted on a vertical

wall. You are about a meter away. Because the
mirror is small, you see only from your nose to
your belt buckle. Now you start backing away
from the mirror.
• As you back up, will you see more of your body,
less of your body, or the same nose to belt
image?
• Why do you think so? (Explain your answer through
personal experiences or a sketch.)

Reflection
• Diffuse reflection is reflection from a rough surface, such

as notebook paper or the wall.
• Specular reflection is reflection from a smooth surface,
such as a mirror or shiny metal.
– We will study specular reflection.

Angle of Reflection
• At what angle will the
incoming ray reflect from
the mirror?
• Angle of incidence (θ) =
Angle of reflection (θ’)
• By convention, angles are
measured with a normal
line.
– Angles with the surface are
also equal.

Image in a Flat Mirror - Ray Diagram

• Ray 1 strikes the mirror and
reflects at the same angle
(90°).
• Ray 2 reflects at the same
angle it strikes.
• Our eyes see the two
reflected rays and many
others.
• The brain assumes that
they came from a common
point, and the image is
seen at that point.

Image in a Flat Mirror - Ray Diagram

• The image is behind the
mirror.
• The image distance (q)
equals the object distance
(p).
• The image size (h’) equals
the object size (h).
• The image is virtual, not
real.
– Reflected rays do not actually
meet, they only appear to
come from a common point.

Comparing Real and Virtual Images
Visual Concept

Flat Mirrors
• Imagine a small
mirror as shown.
The man will only
see the portion of
his body shown.
How would that
change if he were
closer to the
mirror? Farther
away?
– Try drawing a
diagram similar to
that shown.

• We use our depth perception to determine the

distance to an object. When you look in a flat
mirror, you see your image.
• How far away does the image appear?
– Is the image at the mirror, farther away than the
mirror, or closer than the mirror?
• Make a sketch showing the following:
– a side view of yourself as a stick figure, the mirror,
and the reflected light that creates the image

• Imagine a small flat mirror mounted on a vertical

wall. You are about a meter away. Because the
mirror is small, you see only from your nose to
your belt buckle. Now you start backing away
from the mirror.
• As you back up, will you see more of your body,
less of your body, or the same nose to belt
image?
– Why do you think so? (Explain your answer through
personal experiences or a sketch.)

What do you think?
• Suppose a concave makeup mirror is held

against a vertical wall while you look at yourself
from the the opposite side of the room.
• Would your image appear the same as it would in a
plane mirror? If not, how is it different?
• How would this image change in size and appearance
as you approached the mirror?
• How would the image appear if you were only a foot
(30 cm) from the mirror?

Concave Spherical Mirrors
• Mirrors that are a small portion of the inside of a sphere

• The angle of incidence still equals the angle of reflection.
• Called converging mirrors
• The focal length (f) is one-half the radius (R).

Real Images
• The image shown is real
because the reflected
rays actually pass
through each other.
– Virtual images only appear
to come from a single
point.
– Object distance (p)
– Image distance (q)
– Object height (h)
– Image height (h’)

Ray Diagrams - Rules
• These rules describe three rays that are easily drawn

without the need to measure angles.
– Others can be drawn after the image point is located using at
least two of these rays.

Rules for Drawing Reference Rays for Mirrors
Visual Concept

Ray Diagram • Is the image real or

virtual? Inverted or
upright? Larger
than or smaller
than or equal to the
object in size?
– Try drawing the ray
diagram locating
the image of the
pencil if the object
is placed at C.
– Now try it for the
object between C
and F.
– See the next slide
for drawings.

• Is each image real or virtual? Inverted or upright? Larger

than or smaller than or equal to the object in size?
– Now try drawing the ray diagram locating the image of the pencil
if the object is placed at F.
– Finally, try it for an object beyond F (closer to the mirror).
– See the next slide for drawings.

• Is each image real or virtual? Inverted or upright? Larger

than or smaller than or equal to the object in size?

Ray Tracing for a Concave Spherical Mirror
Visual Concept

Mirror Equation
• p and q have a positive value if they are on the front side or

reflecting side of the mirror.
– Real images
• q has a negative value if the image is on the back side of the mirror.
– Virtual image
• f is positive for concave mirrors.

Equation for Magnification
• h is positive if it is upright and negative when inverted.

• M is positive for virtual (upright) images.

Classroom Practice Problem

• When an object is placed 30.0 cm in front of a
concave mirror, a real image is formed 60.0 cm
from the mirror’s surface. Find the focal length.
– Answer: 20.0 cm


• A square object is placed 15 cm in front of a
concave mirror with a focal length of 25 cm. A
round object is placed 45 cm in front of the same
mirror. Find the image distance, magnification,
and type of image formed for each object. Draw
a ray diagram for each.
– Answers: Square - virtual image, q = -38 cm, M = 2.5
– Answers: Round - real image, q = 56 cm, M = -1.2
– Ray diagrams should look similar to (4) and (6) in
Table 4.

Convex Mirrors
• Called a diverging mirror because rays are spread out by

the mirror
• Image is always virtual and smaller than the object.

Convex Mirrors
• Used as side-view mirrors on cars

– What warning is written on these mirrors? Why?
– Images are small so they appear to be farther away.
• Also used in stores to monitor shoppers
• Equations are the same as those for concave mirrors.

Ray Tracing for a Convex Spherical Mirror
Visual Concept


• A convex mirror has a radius of curvature of 12.0
cm. Where is the focal point?
– Answer: f = -6.00 cm (behind the mirror)
• Find the position of the image for an object
placed the following distances from the mirror:
50.0 cm, 30.0 cm, 12.0 cm and 2.00 cm.
– Answers: -5.35 cm, -5.00 cm, -4.00 cm, -1.50 cm

Parabolic Mirrors & Spherical Aberration

• With spherical mirrors,
rays not near the principal
axis do not all meet at the
image point.
• Parabolic mirrors
eliminate this problem and
produce sharper images.

Parabolic Mirrors & Spherical Aberration

• Using rays near the axis on spherical mirrors
reduces the aberration or blurriness of the
image.
– A very small section of a sphere is nearly identical to
a paraboloid.
• Parabolic mirrors are used in telescopes to
sharpen the image.

Reflecting Telescope
Visual Concept

• Suppose a concave makeup mirror is held

against a vertical wall while you look at yourself
from the the opposite side of the room.
– Would your image appear the same as it would in a
plane mirror? If not, how is it different?
– How would this image change in size and appearance
as you approached the mirror?
– How would the image appear if you were only a foot
(30 cm) from the mirror?

What do you think?
• Imagine a darkened room with two

projectors shining light on a
screen. One shines blue light
while the other shines yellow light.
• What color will be seen when these
two colors overlap each other on the
screen?
• Why do you think this is the case?
• What experiences have you had that
helped you decide on the color?

What do you think?
• Suppose the colors are

switched to red and green.
• What color will be seen when
these two colors overlap each
other on the screen?
• Why do you think this is the
case?
• What experiences have you
had that helped you decide on
the color?

Color
• Why does a leaf appear
green?
• Why do parts of the U.S.
flag appear red?
• Objects appear a certain
color because they absorb
the other colors of the
spectrum.
– The leaf absorbs all but
green (see diagram).
– The flag absorbs all but
red.

Color Addition
• White light is a mixture of all of the colors of the
spectrum (ROYGBV).
• The primary additive colors are red, green, and
blue.
• Addition of these colors with differing intensities
produces all other colors.
– TVs use closely spaced red, green, and blue pixels.

Color Addition
• Red + green ---> yellow
• Red + blue ---> magenta
• Blue + green ---> cyan
• Any two colors forming white are

said to be complimentary colors.
– Yellow and blue
– Magenta and green
– Cyan and red

Additive Color Mixing
Visual Concept

Color Subtraction and Pigments

• Another way to form different colors is by
subtraction.
– Pigments and dyes absorb (or subtract) some colors
and reflect (or transmit) others.
– Leaves subtract red and blue but reflect green.
• The primary pigments for color subtraction are
cyan, magenta, and yellow.
– Color printers use CYM cartridges.
• These have three colors of ink and mix them to produce all
other colors.


• Yellow is a combination of red and green. A
yellow pigment reflects both red and green or it
removes blue.
– In other words, yellow pigments subtract blue light.
– Similarly, cyan pigments subtract red light.
• Therefore, if you mix yellow and cyan pigments,
blue and red are both subtracted, and you see
green reflected.
– Use subtraction to determine the color seen if you mix
• cyan and magenta
• yellow and cyan


• Mixing all three pigments
produces black.
• Different quantities of
cyan, magenta, and
yellow can produce the
“millions” of colors
possible on printers.

Subtractive Color Mixing
Visual Concept

Polarization of Light
• Unpolarized light consists
of light with the electric
and magnetic fields
vibrating in all directions.
• Polarized light waves

have fields vibrating in
only one plane.
– In this case, the electric field
is vertically polarized.

Polarizing Light
• Polarizing filters only allow light with the electric field

aligned with the transmission axis to pass through.

Naturally Polarized Light
• Light reflected off a shiny surface like water is polarized

by the reflective process.
– Which way should the transmission axis be oriented to block out
“glare” light?
– Why do fishermen like polarized sunglasses?

Naturally Polarized Light
• The light scattered off

particles in the
atmosphere is also
polarized.
• Photographers use
polarized filters to darken
the blue sky and make
clouds stand out.

Polarization by Reflecting and Scattering
Visual Concept


• Imagine a darkened room with two
projectors shining light on a
screen. One shines blue light
while the other shines yellow light.
• What color will be seen when these
two colors overlap each other on the
screen?
• What color would be produced if they
were red and green? Blue and
green? Red and blue? Magenta and
green? Cyan and red? Cyan and
yellow?

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Light and Reflection Section 1

Section 1 Characteristics of Light

Section 2 Flat Mirrors

Section 3 Curved Mirrors

Section 4 Color and Polarization

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

What do you think?

• What are electromagnetic waves?

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Electromagnetic (EM) Waves

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Electromagnetic (EM) Waves

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Click below to watch the Visual Concept.

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Classroom Practice Problems

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Waves and Rays

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

– Predict the relationship between illumination and distance.

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Now what do you think?

• What are electromagnetic waves?

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

What do you think?

• We use our depth perception to determine the

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

What do you think?

• Imagine a small flat mirror mounted on a vertical

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

• Diffuse reflection is reflection from a rough surface, such

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Image in a Flat Mirror - Ray Diagram

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Image in a Flat Mirror - Ray Diagram

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Comparing Real and Virtual Images

Click below to watch the Visual Concept.

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Now what do you think?

• We use our depth perception to determine the

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Now what do you think?

• Imagine a small flat mirror mounted on a vertical

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

What do you think?

• Suppose a concave makeup mirror is held

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Concave Spherical Mirrors

• Mirrors that are a small portion of the inside of a sphere

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Ray Diagrams - Rules

• These rules describe three rays that are easily drawn

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Rules for Drawing Reference Rays for Mirrors

Click below to watch the Visual Concept.

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Ray Diagram • Is the image real or