Light Waves: Reflection, Refraction, Diffraction, Interference, Polarization

Question 1

Which characteristic is NOT associated with a diffraction pattern?

Accepted Answer

Observation only when light passes through a narrow slit

Answer

Alternating bright and dark bands

Answer

Decreasing band intensity with distance from the center

Answer

Dependence on the diffracting aperture's shape

Question 2

In a double-slit experiment with monochromatic light, the pattern observed on a screen behind the slits is:

Accepted Answer

Equally spaced bright and dark bands

Answer

A single bright band flanked by two dim bands

Answer

Concentric rings

Answer

Randomly distributed bright and dark spots

Question 3

Polarized light is characterized by:

Accepted Answer

Electric field oscillations in a single direction

Answer

Magnetic field oscillations in a single direction

Answer

Modulated intensity at a specific frequency

Answer

Aligned photon spins

Question 4

A common material used as a polarizer is:

Accepted Answer

Crystals

Answer

Glass

Answer

Metal

Answer

Water

Question 5

The approximate speed of light in a vacuum is:

Accepted Answer

2.99 x 10^8 m/s

Answer

3.00 x 10^9 m/s

Answer

2.50 x 10^8 m/s

Answer

3.50 x 10^9 m/s

Question 6

Which is NOT a type of optical fiber?

Accepted Answer

Coaxial cable

Answer

Single-mode fiber

Answer

Multi-mode fiber

Answer

Graded-index fiber

Question 7

The critical angle for total internal reflection at a glass-air interface is approximately:

Accepted Answer

42 degrees

Answer

25 degrees

Answer

60 degrees

Answer

80 degrees

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT a fundamental property of light waves?

Accepted Answer

Combustion

Answer

Reflection

Answer

Refraction

Answer

Diffraction

Question 9

When light travels from a medium with a lower index of refraction to a medium with a higher index of refraction, it will:

Accepted Answer

Slow down and bend toward the normal

Answer

Speed up and bend toward the normal

Answer

Speed up and bend away from the normal

Answer

Slow down and bend away from the normal

Question 10

Which type of polarization occurs when the electric field vector of an electromagnetic wave vibrates in only one direction?

Accepted Answer

Linear

Answer

Circular

Answer

Elliptical

Answer

Unpolarized

Question 11

Which of the following materials is commonly used as a polarizer?

Accepted Answer

Crystal

Answer

Plastic

Answer

Glass

Answer

Metal

Question 12

When unpolarized light passes through a polarizer, it is reduced in intensity by:

Accepted Answer

50%

Answer

25%

Answer

75%

Answer

100%

Question 13

The angle of incidence is the angle between the incident ray and:

Accepted Answer

Normal to the surface

Answer

Reflected ray

Answer

Transmitted ray

Answer

Angle of refraction

Question 14

The speed of light in a vacuum is:

Accepted Answer

Approximately 300,000 kilometers per second

Answer

Affected by the motion of the light source

Answer

Affected by the frequency of the light

Answer

Equal to zero

Question 15

When light travels from one transparent material to another, which phenomenon causes it to change direction?

Accepted Answer

Refraction

Answer

Reflection

Answer

Diffraction

Answer

Polarization

Question 16

Which material has the highest index of refraction?

Accepted Answer

Diamond

Answer

Air

Answer

Water

Answer

Glass

Question 17

What phenomenon is responsible for the bending of light waves as they pass through a narrow opening?

Accepted Answer

Diffraction

Answer

Reflection

Answer

Interference

Answer

Polarization

Question 18

What is the phase difference between two waves that produce constructive interference?

Accepted Answer

0°

Answer

90°

Answer

180°

Answer

270°

Question 19

Which of the following is not a type of polarization?

Accepted Answer

Isotropic polarization

Answer

Linear polarization

Answer

Circular polarization

Answer

Elliptical polarization

Question 20

What is the speed of light in a medium compared to its speed in a vacuum?

Accepted Answer

c divided by the index of refraction

Answer

Equal to c

Answer

Greater than c

Answer

Less than c

Question 21

Which application of light waves relies on the principle of interference?

Accepted Answer

Holography

Answer

Laser pointers

Answer

Optical fibers

Answer

Solar cells

Question 22

What is the wavelength of a light wave with a frequency of 5 x 10^14 Hz?

Accepted Answer

600 nm

Answer

6 μm

Answer

60 cm

Answer

6 m

Question 23

Which device converts light energy into electrical energy?

Accepted Answer

Photodiode

Answer

Light-emitting diode (LED)

Answer

Laser

Answer

Photomultiplier

Question 24

The index of refraction of a material is:

Accepted Answer

The ratio of the speed of light in the material to the speed of light in vacuum

Answer

The ratio of the speed of light in vacuum to the speed of light in the material

Answer

Always greater than 1

Answer

Equal to the sine of the angle of incidence divided by the sine of the angle of refraction

Question 25

Which of the following phenomena is responsible for the colors seen in a rainbow?

Accepted Answer

Dispersion

Answer

Reflection

Answer

Refraction

Answer

Diffraction

Question 26

When two coherent light waves interfere, what is the resulting pattern called?

Accepted Answer

Interference pattern

Answer

Diffraction pattern

Answer

Polarization pattern

Answer

Standing wave pattern

Question 27

In selecting an optical fiber for a specific application, which factors are of primary importance?

Accepted Answer

Refractive index and attenuation

Answer

Length and diameter

Answer

Cost and availability

Answer

Brand and manufacturer

Question 28

How does the speed of light in a medium influence its refractive index?

Accepted Answer

The refractive index is inversely proportional to the speed of light.

Answer

The refractive index is directly proportional to the speed of light.

Answer

The refractive index is independent of the speed of light.

Answer

The speed of light has no effect on the refractive index.

Question 29

When light travels from a medium with a higher index of refraction to a medium with a lower index of refraction, what happens to its speed and wavelength?

Accepted Answer

Speed decreases, wavelength increases.

Answer

Both speed and wavelength decrease.

Answer

Both speed and wavelength increase.

Question 30

Which of the following correctly describes a property of light waves?

Accepted Answer

Transverse

Answer

Scalar

Answer

Vector

Answer

Longitudinal

Question 31

Approximately, what is the speed of light in a vacuum?

Accepted Answer

3 x 10^8 m/s

Answer

3 x 10^6 m/s

Answer

3 x 10^4 m/s

Answer

3 x 10^10 m/s

Question 32

Which phenomenon is responsible for the bending of light when it passes from one medium to another?

Accepted Answer

Refraction

Answer

Diffraction

Answer

Interference

Answer

Reflection

Question 33

What is the definition of the angle of incidence?

Accepted Answer

The angle between the incident ray and the normal to the surface.

Answer

The angle between the reflected ray and the normal to the surface.

Answer

The angle between the refracted ray and the normal to the surface.

Question 34

Which of the following is a type of interference?

Accepted Answer

Constructive

Answer

Polarization

Answer

Reflection

Answer

Diffraction

Question 35

Calculate the wavelength of light with a frequency of 5 x 10^14 Hz.

Accepted Answer

600 nm

Answer

6000 nm

Answer

60000 nm

Answer

60 nm

Question 36

Which of the following applications of light waves is not related to the medical field?

Accepted Answer

Laser cutting

Answer

Laser therapy

Answer

Laser surgery

Answer

Laser imaging

Question 37

What is the underlying principle behind fiber optic communication?

Accepted Answer

Total internal reflection

Answer

Refraction

Answer

Diffraction

Answer

Polarization

Question 38

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of light waves?

Accepted Answer

Possesses mass

Answer

Can be reflected and refracted

Answer

Exhibits interference and diffraction

Answer

Propagates in a rectilinear path

Question 39

Which application relies on the diffraction of light?

Accepted Answer

Compact Disc (CD) and Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) players

Answer

Fiber optic communication

Answer

Telescopes

Answer

Lasers

Question 40

What quantity describes the direction of oscillation of the electric field vector in a light wave?

Accepted Answer

Polarization

Answer

Intensity

Answer

Direction of propagation

Question 41

Which material does NOT exhibit birefringence?

Accepted Answer

Glass

Answer

Calcite

Answer

Tourmaline

Answer

Quartz

Question 42

In a vacuum, what is the approximate value of the speed of light?

Accepted Answer

299,792,458 meters per second (m/s)

Answer

300,000,000 m/s

Answer

340 m/s

Answer

1,000,000 m/s

Question 43

Wavelength of light is typically measured in which unit?

Accepted Answer

Nanometer (nm)

Answer

Hertz (Hz)

Answer

Centimeter (cm)

Answer

Meter (m)

Question 44

Which color of visible light has the shortest wavelength?

Accepted Answer

Violet

Answer

Blue

Answer

Yellow

Answer

Red

Question 45

A beam of light traveling from air into water will:

Accepted Answer

Bend towards the normal (straight line perpendicular to the surface at the point of incidence).

Answer

Travel in a straight line without bending.

Answer

Bend away from the normal.

Question 46

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of light waves?

Accepted Answer

They are longitudinal waves (vibrations parallel to the direction of propagation).

Answer

They can interfere with each other (combine to form new waves).

Answer

They can be diffracted (bend around obstacles).

Answer

They can be polarized (filtered to vibrate in a specific direction).

Question 47

The phenomenon of light bending around corners is known as:

Accepted Answer

Diffraction (the spreading out of waves as they pass through an opening or around an obstacle).

Answer

Reflection (the bouncing back of light from a surface).

Answer

Refraction (the bending of light when it passes from one medium to another).

Answer

Polarization (the filtering of light to vibrate in a specific direction).

Question 48

Two waves are said to interfere constructively when:

Accepted Answer

Their crests (highest points) align.

Answer

Their amplitudes (heights) are equal but opposite.

Answer

They are polarized in perpendicular directions (vibrating at right angles to each other).

Answer

Their crests align with troughs (lowest points).

Question 49

Polarization of light demonstrates that light waves are:

Accepted Answer

Transverse (vibrations perpendicular to the direction of propagation).

Answer

Electromagnetic (consisting of oscillating electric and magnetic fields).

Answer

Longitudinal (vibrations parallel to the direction of propagation).

Answer

Mechanical (requiring a medium to propagate).

Question 50

A plane mirror produces an image that is:

Accepted Answer

Virtual (not real) and laterally inverted (flipped from left to right).

Answer

Real (can be projected onto a screen) and upright (not flipped).

Answer

Virtual and upright.

Answer

Real and laterally inverted.

Question 51

The speed of light in a vacuum is:

Accepted Answer

3 x 10^8 m/s (approximately 299,792,458 meters per second).

Answer

3 x 10^10 m/s.

Answer

3 x 10^6 m/s.

Answer

3 x 10^4 m/s.

Question 52

A converging lens is used to:

Accepted Answer

Focus light to a point (bring parallel rays of light together at a single point).

Answer

Reflect light (bounce light rays off a surface).

Answer

Polarize light (filter out light waves vibrating in certain directions).

Answer

Spread light out (cause light rays to diverge).

Question 53

The phenomenon of light splitting into its constituent colors when passing through a prism is known as:

Accepted Answer

Dispersion (separation of light into its component wavelengths).

Answer

Diffraction (bending of light around obstacles).

Answer

Refraction (bending of light when passing from one medium to another).