EOSC 118 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Total Internal Reflection, Electromagnetic Spectrum, Subtractive Color
4 Aug 2015
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Document Summary
The interaction of light and the way human eye interprets light has to do with the beauty of gemstones. Wavelength: distance from peak to peak or trough to trough. Frequency: # of wave crests (troughs/peaks) that pass through one point in one second. All energy travels at constant speed (speed of light) When frequency of light decreases, wavelength increases inverse relationship. Light behaves like particles when it travels as photon particles. More intense light is composed of more photons with higher frequency of incidence. Gemstones is mostly described with the wave approach. Colour is what our brain interprets from the incidence of light. Electromagnetic spectrum is continuous and ranges from high intensity gamma rays (short wavelength, high frequency) to low intensity radio waves (long wavelength, low frequency) The visible region is in the middle from 350-750 nm: comprised of the rainbow. Light in visible spectrum is collectively called white light.
