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Chapter 1-Reflecting Light

Under the subtitle “Light and its Properties” on page 3 can you answer the following questions.

1. What is meant by the term luminous? Give a few examples

2. What is meant by the term incandescent? Any examples
3. What shows that light travels faster than sound?
4. Look at the calculation of how long it takes light to reach the Earth from the Sun, can you find the time it takes
to reach the outer edge of our Solar System ? (find the time it takes to reach Pluto)

5. What is meant by the expression ‘a ray of light’?

6. What is the difference between regular and specular reflection?
7. Study carefully the diagram on page 8, Figure 1.12 can you understand how the image is formed?
8. Lateral Inversion- what is meant by this expression?
9. List the two main types of mirrors beside flat mirrors that we have?
10. Look carefully at the diagram on page 12, figure 1.21, it show how we can find the image made by a concave
mirror. Using a concave mirror with a focal length of 5cm and a object that is 8cm away from the mirror with a
height of 3cm find the image. Describe the image? What happens if the object is located at 4cm away from the
mirror, what type of image is formed now?
11. What is meant by the term ‘virtual image”?
12. On page 13 please carefully look at the figure 1.25. Here you will see the symbols and their meaning. Copy
this diagram into your notes and list down the formula carefully.
13. You will be required to do quite a few problems to see if you understand how to use this above formula.
14. Pay particular attention to Page 16. Notice that if you use the formula you will need to a negative value for the
focal length. Record this information onto your notes books.

15. What are some of the problems associated with curved mirrors?

16. You must now try some of the handout sheets and the problems from your text book.
17. You will receive worked out solutions to these problems hopefully.

Chapter 2- Refracting Light

1. What is meant by refraction? Can you show on a diagram how it works?

2. Please note carefully the diagram on page 25, figure 2.4. you must understand the various labels such as
refracted ray, incident ray , angle of incidence, angle of refraction, normal
3. Go through the samples problems on page 26 and see if you can follow the logic of the solution.
4. What is the physical meaning of the refractive index? What is it actually measuring?
5. Explain in the simplest terms the meaning of critical angle and total internal reflection. ( It might help to refer
to the diagrams on page 29, figure 2.8)
6. How can mirages be explained?
7. What practical use can optical fibres be used for?
8. The ray particle model has a few limitations, can you list them?

9. What is the difference between a convex and a concave lens?

10. Look at the figure 2.26 on page 36.Notice carefully how we use ray diagrams to find the image formed by a
convex lens. This is very similar to the way we used ray diagrams to find the image formed by a concave
mirror. What is the difference however?
11. What are some of the common problems associated with eyes?
12. Make sure you do the homework sheet for this section.
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Chapter 3-Seeing colours

1. What is dispersion?
2. What are transverse waves? Can you give an example?
3. What are longitudinal waves? Can you give an example?
4. What is the difference between frequency and period?
5. What is the formula that combines velocity and frequency together?
6. What is the electromagnetic spectrum?
7. What does a filter do to normal light?
8. What is meant by the term ‘chromatic aberration’?
9. What is meant by the expression interference of light?

Chapter 4-Nuclear and radioactivity physics

1. Does radiation affect us all? Please explain your answer.

2. List the main types of nuclear radiation.
3. How are radioisotopes used in society today?
4. What is meant by the expression ionising power?
5. Read the article ‘saving lives with nuclear radiation’ List how this is possible today.
6. How do scientists calculate the amount of radiation people receive?
7. Read the articles on page 90. Please answer the questions relating to the articles.

Chapter 7-Medical physics

1. What is ultrasound and how is it used in medicine?

2. Why isn’t audible sound used for medical diagnosis?
3. How does an ultrasound work?
4. How are X-rays used in medical diagnosis? What are X-rays and how are they produced?
5. What is a CAT scan?

Chapter 8-Energy from the nucleus

1. What holds the nucleus together?

2. What is nuclear fusion?
3. What is nuclear fission?
4. What is meant by the term ‘chain reaction’?
5. List the different types of nuclear reactors? Does Australia have any reactors?
6. What types of nuclear bombs exist?
7. Scientists believe that a nuclear war will result in a nuclear winter. What is meant by this?