Behavior of Light

Light and Materials Without light, nothing is visible Materials can be transparent, translucent and opaque Each type of material will affect the behavior of light in different ways

Transparent, Translucent and Opaque A transparent material transmits light which means it allows most of the light to pass through Examples: water or window A translucent material scatters light Examples: glycerin soap or frosted window An opaque material absorbs or reflects all of the light that hits it Examples: wooden desk, metal chair, most materials are opaque

Light When light strikes a material it can be transferred to the matter The light is reflected, absorbed or transmitted When the light is transmitted it can be refracted, polarized or scattered

Reflection An image is a copy of an object formed by reflected(or refracted) waves of light Regular reflection occurs when parallel light waves hit a surface and reflect all in the same direction Regular reflection occurs when light hits a smooth, polished surface ex. A still lake

Diffuse Reflection A diffuse reflection occurs when parallel light waves strike a rough, uneven surface and reflect in many different directions This occurs when light reflects a rough lake and you see a blurred image

Refraction A light wave will bend or refract when it passes at an angle from one medium to another Refraction will make objects under water seem larger and closer Refraction can also cause a mirage which is a false or distorted image

Polarization Light with waves that vibrate in only one plane is polarized light A horizontal polarizing filter stops waves on a vertical plane A vertical polarizing filter stops waves on a horizontal plane Polarized sunglasses have vertically polarized filters to block horizontal light

Scattering Scattering means that light is redirected as it passes through a medium Scattering makes reddens the sun at sunrise and sunset The blue and green light has been scattered so the orange and red are the colors we see The sky is blue since the Earth’s atmosphere scatters the blue light in all directions, the air is actually colorless