Focus Questions:

                       3.1 - What happens when light waves interact with matter?

                       3.2 - What do spectra reveal about light?

                       3.3 - What makes objects appear as different colors?

                       3.4 - What happens to light waves at the interface between different

                                  media?

 

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 Vocabulary

angle of incidence        angle of reflection        color        Electromagnetic spectrum    

filter       incident beam       interface        laser       normal line       ray             

spectroscope        spectrum        total internal reflection       Electromagnetic wave

refraction        reflected beam

 

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Concepts

• a wave model can be used to explain the properties of light

• light travels in straight lines, except at the interface between transparent media where refraction occurs

• the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection

• the electromagnetic spectrum extends beyond visible light

• different wavelengths of visible light are perceived as different colors

• when light shines on an object, the light is reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through the object