Wave Behavior – 1.3 Key Ideas 1. I will understand how waves can reflect from some surfaces 2. I will be able to explain how waves change direction when they move from one material to another. 3. I will describe how waves are able to bend around barriers.
Vocab Words Reflection Refraction Diffraction Interferencr
Reflection – when a wave strikes an object or surface and bounces off it. Reflected Ray Incident Ray Plane Mirror
What is regular reflection? Occurs when parallel rays of light hit a smooth surface.
What is diffuse reflection? Occurs when parallel rays of light hit a rough or uneven surface.
When light rays enter a new medium they change in speed, causing them to bend or change direction. Refraction – when wave bends and changes speed as it moves from one medium to another. Refraction may cause you to see something that may not actually be there.
What is the index of refraction? Examples of refraction: Air to water Water to air Water to glass How much a ray of light bends when it enters a new medium.
If waves with equal amplitude meet crest to trough, they cancel each other out. Defraction the bending of waves around a barrier Constructive interference – the crest of one wave overlaps The crest of another wave, making a larger wave. Destructive interference – the crest of one wave overlaps the trough of another wave, making a smaller wave.