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Introduction to SAT II Physics - FreeExamPapers

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One of the more common ways of testing wave optics is by testing your familiarity with<br />

different terms. We have encountered a number of terms—diffraction, polarization,<br />

reflection, refraction, interference, dispersion—all of which deal with different<br />

manipulations of light. You may find a question or two that describe a certain<br />

phenomenon and ask which term explains it.<br />

EXAMPLE<br />

Which of the following phenomena does NOT affect the direction of a wave of light?<br />

(A) Dispersion<br />

(B) Polarization<br />

(C) Diffraction<br />

(D) Reflection<br />

(E) Refraction<br />

The answer <strong>to</strong> the question is B. Polarization affects how a wave of light is polarized, but<br />

it does not change its direction. Dispersion is a form of refraction, where light is bent as it<br />

passes in<strong>to</strong> a different material. In diffraction, the light waves that pass through a slit<br />

then spread out across a screen. Finally, in reflection, light bounces off an object, thereby<br />

changing its direction by as much as 180º.<br />

Key Formulas<br />

Frequency of<br />

an<br />

Electromagnet<br />

ic Wave<br />

Law of<br />

Reflection<br />

Index of<br />

Refraction<br />

Snell’s Law<br />

Critical Angle<br />

Focal Length<br />

for a Spherical<br />

Concave<br />

Mirror<br />

Mirror and<br />

Lens Equation<br />

311

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