Q&A Hero

Q: Parallax is evident when you view objects A) with one eye. B) with both eyes. C) with one or both eyes. D) in a completely dark room.

Q: Three-dimensional viewing normally involves A) parallax. B) two-eye vision. C) an ability to see 'around' things. D) all of the above E) none of the above

Q: Polaroid sunglasses reduce much glare by polarization axes that are A) vertical. B) horizontal. C) at right angles to each other.

Q: The glare seen from water is largely A) horizontally polarized. B) vertically polarized. C) unpolarized.

Q: Light emitted by the Sun is A) polarized. B) nonpolarized. C) sometimes polarized.

Q: Light travels through non-cubic transparent crystals A) in mutually perpendicular directions. B) without refracting. C) and becomes polarized in the process. D) at different speeds along different optic axes. E) none of the above

Q: The vibrational direction of an electron and the plane of polarization of the light it emits A) are the same. B) are at right angles to each other. C) may or may not be at right angles to each other. D) are independent of each other.

Q: Some double-pane airplane windows darken when the inner pane is rotated. The panes are A) thin films. B) Polaroid filters. C) optical fibers.

Q: An inventor proposes to equip an office with a polarized source of background music and polarizing earplugs for non-listeners. His idea is A) a good one that provides personal choice. B) too expensive. C) bothersome. D) nonsense because sound cannot be polarized.

Q: Which of the following is a property of light waves and NOT of sound waves? A) frequency B) wavelength C) amplitude D) polarization E) none of the above

Q: Polarization is a property of A) transverse waves. B) longitudinal waves. C) both of these D) neither of these

Q: Interference effects are less visible for thick films because the reflected waves A) from the bottom surface are too dim. B) become too dispersed. C) are out of phase with one another. D) are too displaced to interfere.

Q: A thin film appears magenta when illuminated with white light. The color being cancelled by destructive interference is A) red. B) green. C) white. D) blue. E) none of the above

Q: A thin film appears cyan when illuminated with white light. The color being cancelled by destructive interference is A) red. B) green. C) white. D) blue. E) none of the above

Q: A thin film appears yellow when illuminated with white light. The color being cancelled by destructive interference is A) red. B) green. C) white. D) blue. E) none of the above

Q: The production of interference colors requires A) a reflecting surface. B) at least two reflecting surfaces. C) a medium with a relatively low index of refraction. D) none of the above

Q: Consider the interference colors in a film of gasoline on a wet street. The water provides a A) means of spreading the gasoline into a thin film. B) means of slowing the rapid evaporation of gasoline. C) chemical bond with the gasoline. D) second reflecting surface. E) all of the above

Q: When you view color in a soap film with sunlight in back of you, a friend on the other side of the soap film likely sees A) the same color. B) a different color. C) only your head.

Q: When long-wavelength light is seen in the interference colors of a soap bubble, the wavelength being cancelled is relatively A) long. B) short. C) neither of these

Q: Interference colors in a soap bubble is evidence that the soap film A) has two reflecting surfaces. B) is thin. C) both of these D) neither of these

Q: Colors seen when gasoline forms a thin film on water illustrate A) refraction. B) reflection. C) dispersion. D) polarization. E) interference.

Q: Iridescent colors in the pearly luster of an abalone shell are due to A) refraction. B) diffraction. C) dispersion. D) polarization. E) interference.

Q: In the double-slit experiment, fringes are more widely spaced when illumination is with monochromatic A) low-frequency light. B) high-frequency light. C) polarized light. D) none of the above

Q: Successive bright fringes in an interference pattern result from A) equal-length distances from the slits. B) distance from the slits successively increasing one wavelength at a time. C) destructive interference. D) none of the above

Q: Light from two closely-spaced stars cannot produce a steady interference pattern due to A) incoherence. B) the inherent instability of the atmosphere. C) their different radial distances. D) their non-point like natures. E) closely spaced stars not producing interference patterns.

Q: Newton's rings will be closer together if illuminated with A) red light. B) blue light. C) white light. D) none of the above

Q: Newton's rings illustrate A) refraction. B) reflection. C) dispersion. D) polarization. E) interference.

Q: When waves from a pair of closely-spaced slits arrive out of phase A) a bright fringe is produced. B) a dark fringe is produced. C) both bright and dark fringes are produced. D) none of the above

Q: When waves from a pair of closely-spaced slits arrive in phase A) a bright fringe is produced. B) a dark fringe is produced. C) both bright and dark fringes are produced. D) none of the above

Q: Thomas Young's two-source interference patterns demonstrate the A) particle nature of light. B) wave nature of light. C) both of these D) neither of these

Q: Monochromatic light is light of a single A) wavelength. B) frequency. C) color. D) all of the above E) none of the above

Q: Interference is a property of A) light waves. B) sound waves. C) water waves. D) all of the above E) none of the above

Q: The superposition of identical waves affects A) amplitude. B) wavelength. C) speed. D) all of the above E) none of the above

Q: Superposition of waves can produce A) reinforcement. B) cancellation. C) partial cancellation. D) all the above

Q: Diffraction is least when illumination is with A) red light. B) blue light. C) an electron beam D) none of the above

Q: The device that spreads light into its component colors in a spectroscope is a A) prism. B) diffraction grating. C) either of these D) neither of these

Q: A razor blade nicely shows diffraction fringes when illuminated with A) ultraviolet light. B) monochromatic light. C) sunlight. D) all of the above E) none of the above

Q: For radio reception in city buildings, diffraction is A) helpful. B) a hindrance. C) not a factor.

Q: For viewing tiny objects in a microscope, diffraction is A) helpful. B) a hindrance. C) not a factor.

Q: A dolphin perceives greater detail by emitting sounds of A) lower frequency. B) higher frequency. C) greater intensity. D) greater speed. E) none of the above

Q: Radio waves that diffract more around small buildings are A) AM. B) FM. C) both diffract equally

Q: Waves diffract the most when their wavelength is A) short. B) long. C) both of these D) neither of these

Q: What can exist in the same place at the same time? A) two large boulders B) two tiny boulders C) two waves D) all of the above E) none of the above

Q: Diffraction is evident when a wave passes A) through a small opening. B) the edge of an object. C) both of these D) neither of these

Q: Diffraction from foghorns is best if the waves being diffracted are A) long. B) short. C) either of these D) neither of these

Q: Diffraction is most closely related to A) refraction. B) reflection. C) interference. D) polarization. E) dispersion.

Q: Plane waves incident upon a barrier that pass through a small opening A) continue as plane waves. B) fan out. C) converge. D) become polarized. E) all of the above

Q: The fanning out of waves upon passing through an opening is more pronounced through A) small openings. B) large openings. C) same for each D) none of the above

Q: Huygens' principle applies mainly to A) refraction of waves in a medium. B) reflection of waves. C) both of these D) neither of these

Q: Secondary wavelets spread from a wave with A) reduced speed. B) an unchanging speed. C) an increased speed. D) none of the above

Q: According to Huygens' principle, every point on a wave A) is a diffraction source. B) behaves as a source of new waves. C) is the superposition of every other part of the wave. D) all of the above E) none of the above

Q: If you cover half a camera lens with opaque tape, the images produced will be A) cut in half. B) only dimmer. C) both of these D) neither of these

Q: An image of the American flag cast by a simple lens finds red and blue colors at slightly different distances from the lens. The color closest to the lens is A) red. B) blue. C) both at the same place

Q: Chromatic aberration is absent in A) converging lenses B) diverging lenses. C) front surface plane mirrors.

Q: Chromatic aberration is a consequence of different colors in a lens having different A) aberrations. B) frequencies. C) energies. D) critical angles. E) speeds.

Q: When taking a photo of a nearby flower, your camera lens should be set A) closer than one focal length from the photosensitive surface. B) farther than one focal length from the photosensitive surface. C) to one focal length from the photosensitive surface.

Q: Light travels slower in a lens having a A) high index of refraction. B) low index of refraction. C) same in each

Q: Magnification is greater with a lens having a A) high index of refraction. B) low index of refraction. C) same in each

Q: Magnification by a lens would be greater if light A) propagated instantaneously. B) traveled faster in glass than it does. C) traveled slower in glass than it does. D) beams spread less. E) none of the above

Q: Sunlight passing through a pinhole in a piece of card casts a solar image on the ground. If the card is held so the image exactly covers a coin, measurements will show you could fit 110 coins between the image and the card. This further tells you A) 110 Suns would fit between the top of the card and the Sun. B) that this activity is useful for estimating the Sun's diameter. C) both of these D) neither of these

Q: The image of the "infinitely-far-away" Sun produced by a converging lens appears A) between the lens and the focal point. B) at the focal point. C) beyond the focal point.

Q: In a converging lens, objects infinitely far away are focused A) in front of the focal point. B) at the focal point. C) beyond the focal point.

Q: Small openings between leaves in a tree act as pinholes. The round spots of light cast on the ground below are images of A) the Sun. B) the openings themselves. C) both of these D) neither of these

Q: A pinhole cameras has no lens. The tiny pinhole opening insures that rays of light from different parts of an object A) overlap. B) don't overlap. C) bend to a focus.

Q: When the tiny hole in a pinhole camera is made larger, the image is A) brighter but less clear. B) clearer. C) right-side up. D) none of the above

Q: The image in a pinhole camera is A) always inverted. B) sometimes inverted. C) always right-side up.

Q: Your vision is sharpest when your pupil is A) dilated. B) constricted. C) same either way

Q: A "burning glass" used to concentrate sunlight in a tiny spot is a A) converging lens. B) diverging lens. C) either of these D) neither of these

Q: Which of the following can be projected onto a viewing screen? A) a real image B) a virtual image C) both of these D) neither of these

Q: The type of lens that brings parallel light rays together is a A) converging lens. B) diverging lens. C) combination of converging-diverging lens.

Q: The type of lens that spreads parallel light is a A) converging lens. B) diverging lens. C) combination of converging-diverging lens.

Q: Optical fibers are commonly used by A) surgeons. B) mechanics. C) engineers. D) aviators. E) all of the above

Q: In optical fibers of uniform density, light actually A) curves in a direction parallel to the central axis of the fiber. B) travels in straight-line segments. C) travels along the outer surface of the fiber. D) none of the above

Q: The refraction of light in a diamond is greater for A) long-wavelength light. B) short-wavelength light. C) both refract the same

Q: At night an underwater scuba diver aims a flashlight beam toward the surface at 15o to the normal. Upon emerging into the air, the beam angle will be A) less than 15o. B) 15o. C) more than 15o. D) impossible to predict.

Q: If a fish in a pond looks upward at 50o to the normal, it will see A) the pond's bottom. B) the sky and possibly some tall surroundings. C) only the water's surface. D) none of the above

Q: A diver shines light upward to the surface of a smooth pond at 20o to the normal. Most light passes into the air above while the part that reflects back into the water makes an angle to the normal of A) less than 20o. B) 20o. C) more than 20o D) all refracts, none reflects.

Q: The critical angle is least in A) glass. B) water. C) diamond. D) vacuum.

Q: When a light beam emerges from water into air, light speed A) increases. B) decreases. C) remains the same.

Q: Which is a useful property of a prism? A) internally reflects 100% of incident light B) changes directions of light in a variety of ways C) re-inverts images D) all the above E) none of the above