Give examples of some common luminous and nonluminous objects.
Explain that light usually travels in straight lines.
Give some examples which illustrate the rectilinear propagation of light.
Identify objects which are transparent, translucent, and opaque.
Apply and understanding of the inverse square law relationship between the intensity of light and the distance from the source
Define the following terms:
speed, light year.
Describe the methods used by Galileo, Roemer, and Michelson to measure the speed of light.
Explain why the speed of light is difficult to measure.
State the value of the speed of light in a vacuum to three significant figures.
Explain that the speed of light is fastest in a vacuum and slower in other materials.
Explain that light travels slightly slower in air than in a vacuum, but in many situations this difference is negligible.
Calculate the distance, in metres, that light travels in one light year, based on its speed in metres per second.
Explain why the light year is used to measure astronomical distances.
Build a pinhole camera.
Define the following terms:
interface, ray, incident ray, point of incidence, normal, reflected ray, angle of incidence, angle of reflection, specular reflection, diffuse reflection
State the laws of reflection.
Compare and contrast specular and diffuse reflection.
Explain why the laws of reflection still apply for diffuse (irregular) reflection.
List some different kinds of surfaces which produce either specular or diffuse reflection.
Define the following terms:
real image, virtual image, plane mirror, ray diagram.
Identify the characteristics of an image formed by a plane mirror.
Distinguish between a real and a virtual image.
Identify some optical systems which produce either a real or a virtual image.
Draw ray diagrams neatly, accurately, and to some appropriate scale.
Apply the correct use of solid and dotted lines on ray diagrams.
Interpret solid and dotted lines on ray diagrams.
Label ray diagrams correctly, using conventional symbols.
State the four important image characteristics which need to be considered for any type of optical system.
Links
Notes on Characteristics of Light
Another explanation of how the speed of light was calculated.
A great description of how to find images in curved mirrors.
Notes on Polarization of Light.
Curriculum Outcomes
Based on the curriculum objectives for Physics 20 at this point in Unit Three you should be able to: