IB PHYSICS | COMPLETED NOTES

Light and the EM Spectrum

IB PHYSICS | WAVES - LIGHT
 Frequency and Light

Pitch
Change in Frequency
Sound
Color
Change in Frequency
Light
Frequency and Light
Speed of Electromagnetic Waves
In a vacuum All electromagnetic waves travel at:

c = 299,792,458 m s -1

c = 3.00 × 108 m s-1

Speed of Electromagnetic Waves
 Try this…
The sun is roughly 149,600,000 km from
Earth, how long has the light from the sun
been traveling before it gets here?

𝑑
𝑣=
𝑡 𝑑 = 149,600,000,000 m
𝑡= 3.00 × 108 m s −1
𝑣

𝑡 = 499 s = 𝟖. 𝟑𝟏 𝐦𝐢𝐧
 Light Equation
You already know the wave speed equation

v=fλ

Works the same for electromagnetic waves

c=fλ
Electromagnetic Spectrum

Visible light is just part of the picture…

Electromagnetic Waves
Transverse
? or ?
Longitudinal
 Standing Waves in a Microwave
How far between antinodes of a 2450 MHz
standing wave in a microwave?
𝑣 = 𝑓𝜆
𝑣 3.00 × 108
𝜆= = 6
= 0.12 m
𝑓 2450 × 10

0.12 m
= 0.06 m
2
= 𝟔 𝐜𝐦
λ
Standing Waves in a Microwave
Electromagnetic Spectrum
Not everything makes it to Earth
Gamma Ray

Wavelength: 10-12 m | 1 pm
X-Rays

Wavelength: 10-10 m | 10 nm
Ultraviolet

Wavelength: 10-8 m | 10 nm
Visible Light

Wavelength: 0.5 × 10-12 m | 500 nm

Infrared

Wavelength: 10-5 m | 0.01 mm

Microwaves

Wavelength: 10-2 m | 1 cm
Radiowaves

Wavelength: 103 m | 1 km
Wireless Data Transfer
 Can you name them? You should.
A Radio
B Microwaves
C Infrared
Higher Frequency
D Visible More Energy
E Ultraviolet
F X-Rays
G Gamma
 Lesson Takeaways
❑ I can identify and use the speed of light to solve wave
problems with the wave equations
❑ I can estimate the wavelength magnitude for the
different EM waves
❑ I can provide real world examples for each of the
electromagnetic waves
Reflection & Refraction
IB PHYSICS | WAVES - LIGHT
 Reflection
Incidence = Angle of _______________
Angle of ______________ Reflection

Normal Line (⟂ to surface)

Reflection
Reflection

Virtual
Image
 Predict
Can this person see their feet in the mirror?

No
If the angle of reflection equals the
angle of incidence, the light can never
reflect from their feet into their eyes
 “Full Length” Mirrors

45 cm

207 cm
Same mirror size
and placement for
any distance
 Not every surface is a flat mirror
Even surfaces that seem nice and flat are often textured

Diffuse Reflection
 Retro-reflective Mirrors
Light always reflects directly back to the source
Retro-reflective Mirrors
 Colors
We perceive colors in objects depending on how different
wavelengths are reflected
 Refraction

Bends because of a change in medium

 Speed of Light
In a vacuum all electromagnetic waves travel at:
c = 299,792,458 m/s = 3.00 × 108 m/s

Light slows down when it travels through different mediums

Air 2.999 × 108 m s-1

Water 2.256 × 108 m s-1
Glass 1.974 × 108 m s-1
 Index of Refraction → n
𝑛1 𝑣2 n11 1.974v×2 10
8
= =
𝑛2 𝑣1 1.52
n2 3.00 v×1 108
1 Vacuum 3.00 × 108 m s-1 1
Air 2.999 × 108 m s-1 1.0003 ~ 1
Water 2.256 × 108 m s-1 1.33
2 Glass 1.974 × 108 m s-1 1.52
 Try This
How fast does light travel through cubic zirconia (n = 2.15)?

𝑛1 𝑣2 1 𝑣2
= =
𝑛2 𝑣1 2.15 3.00 × 108

8 −1
𝑣2 = 1.40 × 10 ms
 Refraction Boundary

faster
n=1
n = 1.33
Bends toward the most slower
optically dense medium
normal line
 Refraction Boundary
Bends away from the
least optically dense
medium normal line
faster
n=1
n = 1.33
slower
 How Much Bend?
What’s the relationship between
index of refraction (n) and the
amount that light bends?
Air Air
n=1 n=1

Larger difference More to less

in index means optically dense
more bending at will bend away
boundary Water from normal
n = 1.33 Water
n = 1.33
Glass Glass
n = 1.52 n = 1.52
 Lesson Takeaways
❑ I can identify the angle of incidence and angle of
reflection for a reflected wave ray
❑ I can use the law of reflection to predict the way light
bounces off of a plane mirror
❑ I can relate the index of refraction of a material to the
speed of light as it travels through
❑ I can qualitatively predict how light bends when
transitioning between boundaries
Snell’s Law & Critical Angle
IB PHYSICS | WAVES - LIGHT
Remember the Bend

faster
n=1
n = 1.33
slower
Remember the Bend

slower
n = 1.33
n=1
faster
 Snell’s Law
𝑛1 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃2
=
θ1 𝑛2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃1
n1
n2
θ2
 IB Physics Data Booklet

𝑛1 𝑣2 𝑛1 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃2 𝑣2 𝑛1 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃2
= = = =
𝑛2 𝑣1 𝑛2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃1 𝑣1 𝑛2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃1
 Using Snell’s Law
While aiming at a marble at the bottom of a
fish tank filled with water (n2 = 1.33), you point 80°
so that you can measure the angle of your n1 = 1
incident rays. What is the angle of refraction?
n2 = 1.33
𝑛1 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃2 𝑣2
= =
𝑛2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃1 𝑣1
θ2
𝑛1 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃1
𝜃2 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛−1
𝑛2 Where does it “appear” the marble is?

−1 1sin(80°)
𝜃2 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛 1.33
= 𝟒𝟕. 𝟖°
 Try this…
If the light travels from air to diamond (n = 2.42) at an
angle of incidence of 34°, find the angle of refraction.

34° 𝑛1 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃2 𝑣2 𝑛1 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃1

= = 𝜃2 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛−1
𝑛2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃1 𝑣1 𝑛2
n1 = 1
n2 = 2.42
−1 1sin(34°)
𝜃2 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛 = 𝟏𝟑. 𝟒°
1.33
θ2
Refraction AND Reflection
 Critical Angle
Critical Angle: θc Angle at which
θ2 = 90° so no
light escapes

θ2 = 90° n2 = 1
θc n1 = 1.33
Beyond the critical angle → total internal reflection
Remember the Bend

faster
n=1
n = 1.33
slower
 Critical Angle
𝑛1 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃2 𝑛2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃2
= 𝜃1 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛−1
𝑛2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃1 𝑛1

𝑛2 𝐬𝐢𝐧(𝟗𝟎°) −1
𝑛2
𝜃𝑐 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛−1 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛
𝑛1 𝑛1
θ2 = 90° n2 = 1
θc n1 = 1.33
Note: this only happens when transitioning
from more dense to less dense
 Try This
What’s the critical angle between glass and air?
1.52
𝑛1 sin(90°)
𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃2
=
1𝑛2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃
1𝑐 1
𝜃𝑐 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛−1 = 𝟒𝟏. 𝟏°
1.52
θ2 = 90° n2 = 1
n1 = 1.52
θc
 Why does it matter?

Total Internal
Reflection

Snell’s Circle

Fiber Optic Cables for transmitting

information with light
 Sample IB Question
A light ray is incident on an air–diamond boundary. The refractive index of
diamond is greater than 1. Which diagram shows the correct path of the light ray?
 Lesson Takeaways
❑ I can mathematically relate the angles of refraction to the
indices of refraction for the materials
❑ I can describe the phenomenon of total internal reflection
❑ I can calculate the critical angle of incidence so that the
light cannot escape the medium
Diffraction
IB PHYSICS | WAVES - LIGHT
Diffraction
 What would you expect?
You shine a light through two vertical slits in a barrier.
What is the resulting image on the screen behind?
Remember Interference?

Constructive Destructive
Diffraction

Destructive

Constructive

Destructive
Double Slit Experiment
Double Slit Experiment
Double Slit Experiment
Double Slit Experiment
 Double Slit Experiment

𝜆𝐷 D
𝑠= s
𝑑
s
d
λ → wavelength s
s
IB Physics Data Booklet
 Double Slit Experiment

As wavelength (λ) increases,

𝜆𝐷 s increases
𝑠=
𝑑 As gap (d) increases,

s decreases
 𝜆𝐷
Try This 𝑠=
𝑑
Blue laser light of wavelength 450 nm is shone on two slits that are 0.1 mm
apart. How far apart are the fringes on a screen placed 5.0 m away?

λ = 450 nm = 450 × 10-9 m (450 × 10−9 )(5)

d = 0.1 mm = 0.1 × 10-3 m
𝑠=
(0.1 × 10−3 )
D=5m
𝑠 = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟐 𝐦
Would red laser light have fringes closer together or farther apart?

As wavelength increases,
Increasing
Wavelength fringes get farther apart
 Lesson Takeaways
❑ I can describe how light bends around a boundary
❑ I can predict the resulting image from a double slit
experiment
❑ I can calculate the spacing between bright spots for the
double slit experiment
❑ I can conceptually relate band spacing with wavelength
and gap distance
Polarization
IB PHYSICS | WAVES - LIGHT
 Light is a Transverse Wave

This isn’t the whole story though…

When unpolarized, light can

be thought of as oscillating
at every perpendicular to
the wave’s motion Diagram of a light ray
coming out of the page
Polarizers

Unpolarized light loses 50%

intensity when passing
through a polarizer
Polarized Light
 Malus’ Law

I0 θ 𝑰 = 𝑰𝟎 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 𝜽
I θ = angle between filters

Same thing as
𝑰 = 𝑰𝟎 (𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽)𝟐
IB Physics Data Booklet
 Loses Intensity Twice

50% loss when

unpolarized light
is polarized

Equation calculates
-50% loss through
subsequent filters
𝐼 = 𝐼0 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 𝜃
 Angle Difference
The intensity of plane polarized light, at 40° to the vertical is I0. After passing
through an analyzer at 60° to the vertical, what is the intensity measured?

𝜃 = 60° − 40° = 20°

𝐼 = 𝐼0 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 20° = 0.883 𝑰𝟎

88.3% of the original intensity

 Sample IB Question
Polarized light of intensity I0 is incident on a polarizing filter. The angle between the plane of
polarization of the incident light and the transmission plane of the polarizer is θ. Which graph
shows how the intensity I of the light transmitted through the polarizer varies with θ?

90° → Intensity = 0
cos2 shape
 Try this Calculation
After passing through one polarized filter, the intensity of vertically polarized
light is 60 W m-2. What is the angle of the analyzer relative to the vertical if
the intensity observed is 20 W m-2?

𝐼 = 𝐼0 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2 𝜃 20 = 60 (cos 𝜃)2

𝐼 = 𝐼0 (cos 𝜃)2 𝜃 = cos −1 20
= 𝟓𝟒. 𝟕°
60

What was the intensity of

the unpolarized light?

120 W m-2
Loses 50% from first filter
This isn’t the only way
What about 3D Movies?
 Lesson Takeaways
❑ I can describe the transformation that takes place when
unpolarized light is polarized
❑ I can describe the interaction between two polarized
filters at different orientations
❑ I can use Malus’s Law to calculate the change in intensity
when passing through polarized filters