1. Behaviors of Light
So what happens when light enters or strikes a new medium or matter?
Light will behave by Reflecting or scattering, Refracting, Transmitting, or is absorbed by the object.
Reflection – bouncing off a smooth surface in a new direction
Scattering is when it reflects off a rough or uneven surface in many new directions.
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2. Behaviors of Light
Refraction – light waves will bend when it enters a new medium such as water or glass.
This is responsible for our ability to see rainbows
The is how prisms work – when the light wave bends it separates the different color frequencies.
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3. Behaviors of Light
Absorption – matter absorbs the light wave, no light passes through. Matter will get hot as it absorbs light energy
Transmission – light passes through matter.
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4. Transfer of Light
Different objects will transfer light energy in different ways.
Transparent – objects that allow most or all light to transmit or pass through. You can see clearly through these types of objects. Example: Window
Translucent – objects that only transmit some light – the rest is either absorbed or reflected. You cannot see clearly through these types of matter. Example: Lamp shade
Opaque – objects that DO NOT transmit light – all light is either reflected or absorbed. Example: Mirror, tin foil

5. Mirrors and Reflection
Mirrors are opaque objects that let no light pass through
Instead they reflect all light
This creates a reflected image that you see in the mirror.
3 types: Plane, Concave, and convex
Concave – curves away from light- makes image larger
Convex – curves toward light-makes image smaller
Plane- flat-gives accurate image
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6. Lens, Prisms and Refraction
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Lens are transparent objects that bend or refract light.
This causes images we see to come into focus or become clear in our vision.
2 types: Concave and Convex
Concave-curves away from light- makes image smaller
Convex-curves toward light- makes image larger (magnifying glass)
Prisms are transparent objects that also refract or bend light.
This causes each frequency of light to scatter and makes a Rainbow (color spectrum).

7. Transfer of Light
So…light is energy that can be transferred through empty space (vacuum) or through mediums..
Light travels the fastest through empty space at 186,000 miles per second
What types of mediums does light travel the fastest?
Light travels fastest through gases such as air at almost 186,000 miles per second; almost the same as through a vacuum.
Light travels slightly slower through liquids such as water at 140,000 miles per second
Light travels slowest through solids at 124,000 miles per second in glass but slows even more in more dense solids such as diamonds.

8. Visible Light
Different wavelengths of visible light produce the different colors that we see.
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Longest Wavelength
Red has the longest wavelength and lowest frequency
Violet has the shortest wavelength and highest frequency

9. Visible Light
The colors that we see are the colors being reflected by an object – all other colors were absorbed by the object when light hit it.
When ALL light is reflected, we see white
When ALL light is absorbed, we see black
So we see a red apple because red is the color reflected.