Light+Waves

Light and Optics WebQuest 

Law of Reflection: angle of incidence equals angle of reflection

Remember how refraction works according to Snell's Law? Here is a reminder:



When light travels from a slow to fast medium, light bends away from the normal line. When light travels from a fast to slow medium, light bends toward the normal line.

Here is a reminder about [|total internal reflection] : Change the angle of incidence around to see what happens. Then go to the next slide and do the same thing. Will total internal reflection occur when light is traveling from air into glass? Explain why.

You will need to know how to draw diagrams for mirrors. Open up [|the animation] . Change the setting to "mirror." Click on the object and move it around to see what happens to the image. What happens when the object is on the focal point?

MIRROR EQUATIONS:



You will also need to know how to draw [|diagrams for lenses] . Click on the object and move it around to see what happens to the image. What happens when the object is on the focal point?

The mirror equations are also used for lenses! However, for a converging lens, the focal point is defined as negative!