Which of the following actions performed on a rough metal surface significantly increases the proportion of incident light that undergoes specular reflection? Matte finish painting Polishing Etching Sand blasting

A high-quality diamond may be quite clear and colorless, transmitting all visible wavelengths with little absorption. Explain how it can sparkle with flashes of brilliant color when illuminated by white light.

A ray of light enters a liquid from air. If the angle between the incident and refracted rays is 150 and the angle between the reflected and refracted rays is 60, find the refractive index of the liquid. Assume the refractive index of air is 1.00.

An electric current through hydrogen gas produces several distinct wavelengths of visible light. What are the wavelengths of the hydrogen spectrum, if they form first-order maxima at angles 24.2°, 25.7°, 29.1°, and 41.0° when projected on a diffraction grating having 10,000 lines per centimeter?

What happens to a light wave when it travels from air into glass? (a) Its speed remains the same. (b) Its speed increases. (c) Its wavelength increases. (d) Its wavelength remains the same. (e) Its frequency remains the same.

A ring with a colorless gemstone is dropped into water.The gemstone becomes invisible when submerged. Can it be a diamond? Explain.

A pure red object on a black background seems to disappear when illuminated with pure green light. Explain why.

Referring to the electric room heater considered in problem 5, calculate the intensity of IR radiation in W/m2 projected by the concave mirror on a person 3.00 m away. Assume that the heating element radiates 1500 W and has an area of 100 cm2 , and that half of the radiated power is reflected and focused by the mirror.

Can a sound wave in air be polarized? Explain.

Is it possible that total internal reflection plays a role in rainbows? Explain in terms of indices of refraction and angles, perhaps referring to that shown below. Some of us have seen the formation of a double rainbow; is it physically possible to observe a t - - rainbow? (credit “Chad”/Flickr)