LIGHT RAY
narrow beam of light traveling in a straight line
MEDIUM
Material through which a wave travels
OPAQUE
impossible to see through; preventing the passage of light
TRANSLUCENT
some light pass through, but can't see through clearly (not transparent)
TRANSPARENT
Allowing light to pass through so that objects on the other side can be seen
PRIMARY LIGHT COLORS
red, green, blue
PLANE MIRROR
A mirror with a flat surface that produces an upright, virtual image the same size as the object.
CONVEX MIRROR
A mirror with a surface that is curved outward and that produces a smaller, upright image.
CONCAVE MIRROR
A mirror with a surface that is curved inward and produces a larger, upright image.
LENS
A piece of clear material that has at least one curved side, which bends or refracts light rays passing through it.
CONVEX LENS
A lens that is thicker in the middle than at the edges
CONCAVE LENS
A lens that is thinner in the center than at the edges.
Diffraction
light wave strikes an obstacle and new waves are produced; light through key hole
Intereference
when 2 or more waves overlap and combine as a result of diffraction
refraction
bending of light as it travels from one medium into another; bending of straw in a glass of water
Prism
A piece of glass that separates white light into colors of the spectrum.
Color
a property of an object that depends upon the wavelengths of light reflected by the object
Electromagnetic wave
a wave that can travel through space or matter and consists of changing electric and magnetic fields
Mechanical wave
A wave that requires a medium(solid, liquid or gas) to travel.
Doppler effect
A change in sound frequency caused by motion of the sound source, motion of the listener, or both.