Unit C: Light and Optical Systems

Topic 1.1 The Challenge of Light

Light History Table

Individual What was discovered about light? Image/Diagram to help support the
idea

Pythagoras Thought that light came through the

eye

Euclid Angle between coming beam and

mirror is equal to the reflecting beam
and mirror

Described how light beams bend

Ptolemy when they go from air to glass
(Refraction)

Showed that light bounces off objects

Al-Haytham and then transfers to the eye, (First
person to describe how vision worked)

Showed that white light is a mixture of

Newton different colours of light

Had the first reasonably accurate

Ole Romer measure speed of light

Had one of the most accurate speeds

Michelson of light, by placing two mirrors on two
mountains and calculating it.
Properties of Light ( Light travels at about 300,000km per second)
●​ Light can travel in straight lines
●​ Light can be reflected
●​ Light can bend
●​ Light is a form of energy

Topic 1.2: Optical Devices

pp. 182-186 in Science in Action 8

How can the properties of light be used in inventions?

●​ Used to extend human vision

What do we call these inventions?

●​ Optical devices
●​ Any device that uses light
●​ LED- Improvements in our daily lives and advances in science

What are some examples of optical devices?

●​ Contact lenses
●​ Glasses
●​ Telescopes
●​ Cameras
●​ Binoculars

Part 1: Investigate the following optical devices

Device Describe your Description of how the device works/how light is used in the device
device purpose or
function

Compound Can produce a Uses an objective and an eyepiece to magnify the image. This is used
Microscope primary magnified to view extremely tiny objects. Mainly used in investigating unicellular
image and multicellular cells.

Refracting Is a telescope made Its lenses bend light to make things less blurry. It focuses the light,then
Telescope out of lenses it magnifies the object to make it appear bigger, then with the unaided
eye. The objective lenses curve out (convex) Both are convex.

Reflecting Is a telescope that Light is concentrated by bouncing off the mirror. The light reflected
Telescope uses mirrors brings deep sky objects into better view. It uses a large concave mirror
that curves inwards. A second mirror directs light from the concave
mirror to the eyepiece. (Concave) Eyepiece is convex.

Hubble Uses extremely Captures light using mirrors to collect and focus light. Light reflects off
Telescope powerful lenses for the primary mirror and travels back towards the front of the telescope.
 space use The secondary mirror concentrates the light that travels back to the
primary mirror.

Binoculars Are used to zoom They are simply two short refracting telescopes fixed together. It bends
into far-away light to bring far away objects into clearer focus. Unlike other
objects. telescopes, it is lightweight and portable, but not as powerful.

Part 2: Further Investigation

Choose 1 optical device to study in detail. What area(s) of study is your device used in? Describe how your
device has contributed to the study of light and other areas of Science. Any recent discoveries made using the
optical device?

Device Contributions

Refracting ●​ Used in astronomy and astrophotography

Telescope ●​ Has helped in providing detailed observations of planets, such as Venus and Jupiter
●​ Has helped find new asteroids, called the “Comet C/2025 A6” and the “2024 QS”
●​ Have been used to discover cellular functions
●​ Helped pave way to invent the spectroscope, which helped find the chemical
composition of far away celestial objects
●​ Helped find new distant galaxies and solar systems
●​ Contributed to the discovery of the four largest moons of Jupiter

In addition to your textbook, the following are some websites to help:

microscope - Students | Britannica Kids | Homework Help - Microscope

[Link] - Telescope
[Link] - Telescopes
[Link] - Hubble

Please link all additional references below.

Please remember that all information needs to be in your own words!

Topic 2.1: Light Travels in Rays and Interacts with materials

pp. 189-193 in Science in Action 8

Light travels in → straight lines

Ray Model of Light - helps us to explain properties of light

Ray Diagrams
 ●​ Ray → Is a straight line
●​ Represents the path of a beam of light

Ray Diagrams and Brightness and Shadows → look at drawn diagrams in your notes

Brightness → closer the source is to your eye - more of the beams enter your eye
Shadows → objects block light beams → creating a shadow
​ Closer the object is to the source = more beams blocked = large the shadow

Light Interacts with Materials

Transparent:
•​ light passes through it → Undiffused
•​ Light will continue to travel in a straight line/path
•​ Objects can transmit light
•​ Examples:
•​ Glass
•​ Glasses
•​ Water

Translucent:
•​ light passes through it but it is diffused
•​ Light will be refracted after it passes through the object
•​ Only some of the light passes through
•​ Examples:
•​ Frosted glass
•​ Paper
•​ Some types of glasses

Opaque:
•​ No light is allowed to pass through it
•​ Objects will absorb or reflect light (type of surface)
•​ Light will be blocked from passing through the object
•​ No light can go through the object, a shadow is created behind it.
•​ Examples:
•​ Wood
•​ Metal
•​ Brick
•​ Door

Non-Luminous Versus Luminous

•​ Non-luminous → Cannot produce light
•​ Luminous → Produces light
 Types of Reflection

Regular Reflection:
•​ Occurs when light hits a → smooth surface
•​ Incoming rays travel parallel to one another and bounce off a smooth surface in the
same direction
•​ All rays are reflected at the same angle
•​ produces a clear image → EYES MUST BE IN THE DIRECT PATH OF THE
REFLECTED RAY TO SEE IT

Diffuse Reflection:
•​ Occurs when light strikes a → strikes a rough or uneven surface
•​ Light rays hitting the surface → reflect → each of the rays is reflected at a different angle
•​ Reflected rays do not remain parallel

Topic 2.2: The Law of Reflection

pp. 194-196 in Science in Action 8

•​ Incident rays: rays of light that arrive at a mirror or other substance

•​ Reflected ray: rays of light that bounce off of the mirror or surface (incoming)
•​ Smooth surfaces → allow regular reflections

•​ Plane mirrors: Reflecting surfaces that have no curvature.

•​ Provide →o clearest reflections

Understanding the Law of Reflection

LAW OF REFLECTION

The Law of Reflection → the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection

•​ Normal: line perpendicular to a mirror/surface at the point of reflection

•​ Angle of Incidence: angle between the incident ray and the normal

•​ Angle of reflection: Angle between the reflected ray and the normal

How do reflected rays form an image you can see in a mirror?

•​ Light → shines on an object

•​ Reflects off all points on the object → all directions
 •​ Do all rays reflect according to the law of reflection?
•​
•​ Rays that reach your eye → appear to be coming from a point behind the mirror

Topic 2.3: Reflecting light with curved mirrors

pp. 197-199 in Science in Action 8

●​ All mirrors obey the Law of Reflection

Concave Mirrors
•​ Surfaces that curve inward like a bowl/cave
•​ Rays → come toward common point → focal point

•​ Good at collecting light and bring it to a ____________

•​ Focal point →in front of the mirror
•​ Examples of where we find concave mirrors:

•​ Car headlights
•​ Flashlights
•​ Cosmetic mirrors

Concave Mirror Images (pg. 198)

Image formed depends on how far the object is from the focal point
●​ Image formed by a concave mirror
●​ Depends on how far the object is from the focal point of the mirror
●​ If the object is far away from the focal point, the reflected rays form an upside down image.
●​

Convex Mirrors
•​ Have surfaces that curve/bulge outward
•​ Parallel light rays hitting the surface will reflect → spread out
•​ Do light rays ever meet at a focal point??
•​ → Never!
•​ Form images that appear → much smaller and farther away than the object
•​ Can reflect light from a large area
•​ “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear”
•​ Examples:
•​ Security mirrors
•​ Mirrors on the sides of cars

Topic 2.4: Transparent Substances Refract Light

pp. 200-203 in Science in Action 8
What is Refraction?
•​ Bending of light → when light hits a boundary where two different mediums meet
•​ Has to be traveling on an angle
•​ Ex. of mediums: Water, air, glass etc.
•​ Why?
•​ Light changed speed, due to different densities of the medium
•​ Light travels slowly in dense material

Light travels more slowly in → ___________ material

●​ The more dense the material → more slowing down that happens = more refraction
Refraction is what makes the object appear in a different location

Refraction in Different Media

•​ Going into a more dense medium → Bends towards the normal line
•​ Going into a less dense medium → Bends away from the normal line
•​ The new direction of the light is called the angle of refraction
•​ If the angle of incidence increases : the angle of refraction increases
What happens when light strikes a surface?

Type of behavior What happens to Nature of surface What else happens?

light striking a
surface?
Changes into some Occurs mostly on Some light is usually
Absorption other kind of energy rough dark opaque reflected of the
surfaces surface
Reflection Bounces off the Occurs best when Some light is usually
surface and travels in light hits a absorbed
a new direction. smooth,shiny surface
Travels through the Occurs when light Some light is usually
Refraction surface, often in a strikes a different, reflected off the
new direction. transparent medium. surface.

Topic 2.5: Lenses Refract & Focus Light

pp. 204-208 in Science in Action 8

What is a lens?
●​ A piece of curved glass or other transparent material.

●​ When light hits lens → refracts

○​ Sometimes it will form an image
Concave Lenses
•​ Thinner and flatter in the center than at the edges
•​ Light passing through thicker parts → Bends more light
•​ Parallel rays passing through the lens are refracted →away from the center of the lens
•​ Light rays →diverge/spread out.

*Light rays DO NOT MEET on the other side *

Convex Lenses

•​ Lens that curve outward and is thicker in the middle than at the edges
•​ Parallel light rays passing through the lens are refracted → towards the center of the
lens
•​ Rays will meet at a focal point.
•​ Real image: image formed when rays meet at a point

Image Formation with a Convex Lens

•​ See p. 208
•​ The image is upside down
•​ Useful for light collectors → ex: refracting telescopes
•​ If the object is far away from the focal point, the refracted rays form an upside
down real image.
•​ The closer the object gets to the focal point, the larger the image becomes.
•​ If the object is between the focal point and the lens, the image becomes upright
and enlarged and forms on the same side as the object
3 situations:
●​

●​

●​

Section 4 Eyes and cameras capture images using the properties of light
pp. 230-244 in Science in Action 8
Retrieved from [Link]
THE EYE CAMERA
PART FUNCTION PART FUNCTION
Regulates the amount of light entering
Pupil the eye. Aperture Hole or opening in a camera that
lets light in
Diaphragm Opens/closes to allow the correct
Iris Expands/contracts pupil according to amount of light into the camera
brightness of light
*Circular band of muscle

Protects the eyeball from foreign Lens cap Protects the camera lens from
Eyelid objects, such as debris debris and other foreign objects.

Sensitive place behind the eye that Image sensor Converts light into electrical signals
Retina turns focused light into nerve signals to create a digital image.
for the brain
Focuses image on the retina Focuses image on the film
Lens Lens

Clear covering over the eye Protective glass Protects the lens
Cornea Shields eye and begins focusing light

Optic nerve ​
Nerve that leads from the retina to the
brain

Ciliary Used to achieve sharp, precise focus

muscles Adjusts lens to focus on near or far Focusing Ring on a object.
objects

Photoreceptors
●​ Cells that are sensitive to light
Type of About the photoreceptor
Photoreceptor
Are used to help to see in low light vision. They can function in low amounts of
Rods light, unlike cones.

Are used to detect many shades of colours.

Cones

How is light focused in the eye?

●​ Light is focused in the eye by the retina, which is in the back of the eye. The retina helps the
two rays of light from both eyes meet at a focal point, and helps transfer that light into nerve
signals to the brain, which changes the signals to images.

What is the role of the ciliary muscles?

●​ Are muscles that contract and expand to see far away and near objects.

Creation of an Image
•​ The brain uses the nerve signals/messages, and converts them into upside down images, which
it flips to be right side up, making us able to see that image in its correct position.

Camera Vs. Compound Eyes (Notes to finish when at school)

1.​ ________________:
•​ Round→ have a ________, ________, ____________

2.​ Compound Eyes:

•​ Eyes made up of many smaller units → Ommatidium
•​ Helpful → detecting motion

Correcting Vision with Lenses

Vision What causes it? What objects appear blurry Corrected with which
type of lens?
Is when the focal point of Nearby objects appear It is corrected with
Farsightedness the 2 rays coming from blurry. convex lenses.
both eyes extends behind
the eye.

Is when the focal point of Far away objects appear to It is corrected with
Nearsightedness the two light rays coming be blurry. concave lenses.
from both eyes meet in the
middle of the eye.
Night Vision Goggles: Changes small light particles to a green view to see objects well.

Topic 4.2: Other Eyes In The Animal Kingdom

Pages 235-238 in Science in Action 8 Textbook

Camera Eyes: Eyes that have a cornea, a lens, a retina, and are roughly round in shape.

●​ Eyes of nocturnal animals tend to have very large pupils

●​
●​ Nocturnal animals: Have eyes that have more rods than cones
○​ Makes them more able to see clearly in low light conditions
●​
●​ Compound eyes: Are eyes mainly found in crustaceans and insects
○​ Is made up of many smaller units, called ommatidium

Cons: of Compound Eyes

●​ The multiple lenses of a compound eye make it difficult to form a single image
●​