1. IPC Notes The Behavior of Light

2. Light & Matter Opaque material – either absorbs or reflects all light; you can’t see through it ex) a brick wall

3. Light & Matter Transparent material – allows all light to pass through it; you can see through it ex) clear glass

4. Light & Matter Translucent material – allows only some light to pass through it; you can see through it, but not clearly ex) wax paper

5. Reflection & Refraction Reflection– occurs when a light wave strikes an object and bounces off The law of reflection states that a wave bounces off a surface at the same angle it strikes.

7. Reflection & Refraction Refraction– the bending of a wave due to a change in medium ex) a prism refracts white light into the colors of the visible spectrum

9. Producing Light Incandescent Light– produces light by heating a filament until it glows; very inefficient (about 80% of the energy is given off as heat) ex) typical light bulb

10. Producing Light Fluorescent Light– electricity is sent through a gas filled tube; more efficient ex) classroom light bulbs

11. Producing Light Neon Light– electricity is sent through a gas filled tube; different elements produce different colors

12. Producing Light Lasers– very narrow and focused light produced when identical atoms send off identical light waves ex) used in surgical tools, leveling, barcodes