Properties of Light Worksheet
Explore the fundamental properties of light including reflection, refraction, diffraction, and the electromagnetic spectrum with this Grade 12 science worksheet.
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Properties of Light
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Read each question carefully and answer to the best of your ability. Show all work for calculations.
1. Which of the following phenomena best describes the bending of light as it passes from one medium to another?
Reflection
Refraction
Diffraction
Dispersion
2. Which color of visible light has the shortest wavelength?
Red
Green
Blue
Violet
3. The electromagnetic spectrum ranges from long wavelength radio waves to short wavelength rays.
4. When light strikes a smooth surface and bounces back, it undergoes .
5. Light travels fastest in a vacuum.
True
False
6. Diffraction is the spreading of waves as they pass through an opening or around an obstacle.
True
False
7. Explain the difference between constructive and destructive interference of light waves.
8. Observe the diagram below showing light passing through a prism. Explain why the white light separates into different colors.
Match each term on the left with its definition on the right.
9. Polarization
a. The bending of light as it passes around an obstacle.
10. Dispersion
b. The separation of white light into its constituent colors.
11. Diffraction
c. The restriction of light wave vibrations to a single plane.
12. A light ray enters a block of glass (n=1.52) from air (n=1.00) at an angle of incidence of 30 degrees. Calculate the angle of refraction.