Light and Optics Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of Refraction and Reflection

Study Notes

Speed of light: 300,000,000 m/s
Light can travel through a vacuum because it is an electromagnetic wave, not requiring particles to propagate
Reflection: the bouncing of light
Law of Reflection: angle of incidence equals angle of reflection

Refraction: the bending of light as it passes from one transparent medium to another, due to a change in speed
When light goes from a less dense medium to a more dense medium, it bends towards the normal line
When light goes from a more dense medium to a less dense medium, it bends away from the normal line
Lateral Inversion: when an image is flipped, so that left becomes right and right becomes left

Absorption: when light strikes an object and is absorbed, rather than reflected or transmitted
Transmission: when light can pass through an object
We see colors because the reflected colors reach our eyes, while the absorbed colors do not
Black appears when all colors are absorbed, while white appears when all colors are reflected

Refraction can cause optical illusions, such as a pencil appearing broken when placed in water
Convex Lens: a converging lens that brings light together, thicker in the middle and thinner on the edges
Examples of convex lens: magnifying glass, camera lens, eyeglasses
Concave Lens: a diverging lens that spreads out light rays, thinner in the middle and thicker on the edges
Examples of concave lens: eyeglasses, cameras, projectors

Sclera: the white outer layer of the eyeball, made of tough collagen fibers
Function of the sclera: to protect and support the eyeball
Cornea: the transparent front part of the eye, covering the iris and pupil
Function of the cornea: to bend and focus light rays entering the eye
Retina: the innermost, light-sensitive layer of tissue of the eye
Function of the retina: to detect light and convert it into neural signals for the brain, and to provide signals of shape and color