Exploring Light: Colors, Reflection, Refraction, and Beyond

1. L 31 Light and Optics [1] • Measurements of the speed of light:186,000 miles per second (1 foot per nanosecond) • light propagating through matter – transparent vs. opaque materials • colors, why is an orange orange? • The bending of light – refraction • dispersion - what makes the pretty colors? • total internal reflection- why do diamonds sparkle? • how are rainbows formed • Atmospheric scattering • blue sky • red sunsets

2. Measurement of the speed of light • Speed of light in vacuum = c = 300,000,000 m/s = 186,000 miles/s • the moon is 239,000 miles from the earth, so it takes 239,000 mi/186,000 mi/s =1.3 s for light from the moon to get to the earth • 8 minutes from the Sun to Earth • 24 minutes across the solar system • Galileo was the first to consider whether the speed of light was finite or infinite • He attempted to measure it by stationing himself on one mountain and an assistant on a nearby mountain

3. Galileo and the speed of light Galileo’s assistant Galileo D • Galileo turns on his flashlight and starts his clock • When his assistant sees Galileo’s light, he turns on his flashlight • When Galileo sees the light from his assistant’s flashlight, he notes the time

4. Galileo’sresult • “FAST” • Suppose D = 2 miles, then the time delay would be t = D/c = 5 millionths of a sec. • It is not surprising that Galileo was not able to measure this! • Modern measurement of the speed of light using fiber optics  we can do this!

5. The speed of light inside matter • The speed of light c = 300,000,000 m/s in vacuum • In any other medium such as water or glass, light travels at a lower speed. • The speed of light in a medium can be found by using v = c/n, where c is the speed in vacuum (300,000,000 m/s) and n is a number (greater than 1) called the index of refraction.

6. v(speed in medium) = c(speed invacuum) / n

7. light propagating inside matter, e.g., glass • when light is transmitted through matter, some of the electrons in the matter are forced into vibrations • when the electrons vibrate they reemit the light waves  this happens in transparent materials • this is a resonance effect, like the effect of one tuning fork making a nearby tuning fork vibrate • in some materials the energy that the electrons receive from the light wave is passed on to a neighboring atom, thus giving up the energy as heat  this is what happens in opaque materials • the delay between receiving the light energy and reemitting the light energy is way causes light to travel more slowly in a material compared to in vacuum

8. glass blocks both ultraviolet and infrared light, but is transparent to visible light Glass ultraviolet visible infrared

9. VISIBLELIGHT Color  WAVELENGTH OR FREQUENCY Wavelength  Frequency = c

10. COLOR • Any color can be made bycombining primary colors Red, GreenandBlue • A color TV uses mixturesof the primary colors toproduce “full color” images • Perceived color is aphysiological effectdepends on how oureyes work

11. Refraction the bending of light • One consequence of the fact that light travels more slowly in say water compared to air is that a light ray must bend when it enters water this is called refraction • the amount of refraction (bending) that occurs depends on how large the index of refraction (n) is, the bigger n is, the more bending that takes place

12. Reflection and refraction at a surface Normal line Incident Light ray reflected Light ray refracted Light ray

13. Refraction of light Incident ray refracted ray Water n= 1.33 Glass (n=1.5) The refracted ray is bent more in the glass

14. Normal incidence • If the ray hits the interface at a right angle (we call this normal incidence) there is no refraction even though the speed is lower • The wavelength is shorter, however

15. Refraction from air into water When a light ray goes from air into water, the refracted ray is bent away toward the normal. normal n = 1.0 n = 1.33 water

16. Refraction works both ways: water into air normal When a light ray goes from water into air, the refracted ray is bent away from the normal. n = 1.0 n = 1.33 water

17. Some interesting effects due to refraction Underwater objects appear to be closer to the surface than they actually are Total internal reflection fiber optics Seeing through a window Dispersion  rainbows

18. What does it mean to “see” something? • To “see” something, light rays from the object must get into your eyes. • unless the object if a light bulb or some other luminous object, the light rays from some light source (like the sun) reflect off of the object and enter our eyes. BEER!

19. Where is the fish? Closer than you think! Apparent location Of the fish fish

20. Total internal reflection n2 n1 > n2 When the incident angle is too big, the refracted ray disappears and the incident ray is totally reflected back.

21. Fiber optics A fiber optic cable is a bunch (thousandths) of very fine (less than the diameter of a hair) glass strands clad together.  The light is guided through the cable by successive internal reflections.

22. fiber optic communications • can carry more info with less distortion over long distances • not affected by atmospheric conditions or lightning and does not corrode • copper can carry 32 telephone calls, fiber optics can carry 32,000 calls • takes 300 lbs of copper to carry same info as 1 lb of fiber optics • downside  expensive

23. Seeing through the window A light ray is offset slightly When it passes thru a pane Of glass. The thinner the Glass, the smaller the offset.

24. Seeing thru a window When the angle of incidence Is small, most of the incident Light passes thru the glass, Only a small amount is reflected reflected transmitted incident

25. reflected Windows behaving as mirrors When the angle Of incidence is Large (grazing Incidence) more Light is reflected, The window is Like a mirror transmitted incident