PHYS 2002 EXAM 3 QUESTIONS WELL ANSWERED LATEST UPDATE 2026
Wave front - Answers Area of high air density (condensation) moving away from source
Wave ray - Answers Point in direction of wave velocity moving away from source
Specular reflection - Answers Reflection from smooth surface with parallel reflected rays
Law of reflection - Answers Angle of incidence equals angle of reflection (θi = θr)
Plane mirror image - Answers Virtual, upright, same size, same distance, laterally reversed
Mirror height rule - Answers Only half your height is needed to see your whole body
Principal axis - Answers Line through center of mirror/lens and focal point
Focal point (F) - Answers Point where parallel rays converge or appear to diverge from
Center of curvature (C) - Answers Center of sphere for spherical mirror
Real image - Answers Same side as object (mirrors) or opposite side (lenses), inverted
Virtual image - Answers Opposite side (mirrors) or same side (lenses), upright
Magnification (m) - Answers m = hi/ho = -di/do
Concave mirror image cases - Answers Beyond C → RIR; Between C & F → RIE; Inside F → VUE
Convex mirror image - Answers Always virtual, upright, reduced (VUR)
Focal length (mirror) - Answers f = R/2 (positive for concave, negative for convex)
Mirror equation - Answers 1/f = 1/do + 1/di
Magnification sign - Answers + = upright/virtual, - = inverted/real
Index of refraction - Answers n = c/v
Refraction - Answers Bending of light between media
Snell's Law - Answers n1 sinθ1 = n2 sinθ2
Frequency vs wavelength - Answers Frequency constant, wavelength and speed change
Light bending rule - Answers Into denser → toward normal; into less dense → away
Apparent depth - Answers d' = d(n2/n1)
Critical angle - Answers Angle where refracted ray = 90°
Critical angle formula - Answers sinθc = n2/n1 (n1 > n2)
Total internal reflection - Answers Occurs when θi > θc and n1 > n2
Brewster's angle - Answers tanθB = n2/n1
Brewster condition - Answers Reflected and refracted rays are perpendicular
Color refraction - Answers Violet bends more; red bends less
Converging lens (convex) - Answers f positive
Diverging lens (concave) - Answers f negative
Lens image cases (convex) - Answers Beyond 2F → RIR; Between 2F & F → RIE; Inside F → VUE
Diverging lens image - Answers Always virtual, upright, reduced
Thin lens equation - Answers 1/f = 1/do + 1/di
Lens magnification - Answers m = -di/do
Lens sign convention - Answers do + left side, di + right side
Compound lenses - Answers Image from first lens becomes object for second
Refractive power - Answers R = 1/f (in meters)
Farsightedness - Answers Corrected with converging lens
Nearsightedness - Answers Corrected with diverging lens
Constructive interference - Answers In-phase waves → OPD = mλ
Destructive interference - Answers Out-of-phase → OPD = (m + 1/2)λ
Double slit (bright) - Answers d sinθ = mλ
Double slit (dark) - Answers d sinθ = (m + 1/2)λ
Small angle approximation - Answers θ ≈ sinθ ≈ tanθ ≈ y/L
Central maximum - Answers m = 0
Thin film interference (constructive) - Answers 2t + phase shifts = mλ
Thin film interference (destructive) - Answers 2t + phase shifts = (m + 1/2)λ
Phase shift rule - Answers Higher n → phase shift of 1/2 λ
Thickness rule - Answers Use m=1 for smallest non-zero (CI), m=0 for DI
Diffraction - Answers Bending of waves around openings
Diffraction relation - Answers Diffraction ≈ λ/W
Single slit minima - Answers W sinθ = mλ
Wave front - Answers Area of high air density (condensation) moving away from source
Wave ray - Answers Point in direction of wave velocity moving away from source
Specular reflection - Answers Reflection from smooth surface with parallel reflected rays
Law of reflection - Answers Angle of incidence equals angle of reflection (θi = θr)
Plane mirror image - Answers Virtual, upright, same size, same distance, laterally reversed
Mirror height rule - Answers Only half your height is needed to see your whole body
Principal axis - Answers Line through center of mirror/lens and focal point
Focal point (F) - Answers Point where parallel rays converge or appear to diverge from
Center of curvature (C) - Answers Center of sphere for spherical mirror
Real image - Answers Same side as object (mirrors) or opposite side (lenses), inverted
Virtual image - Answers Opposite side (mirrors) or same side (lenses), upright
Magnification (m) - Answers m = hi/ho = -di/do
Concave mirror image cases - Answers Beyond C → RIR; Between C & F → RIE; Inside F → VUE
Convex mirror image - Answers Always virtual, upright, reduced (VUR)
Focal length (mirror) - Answers f = R/2 (positive for concave, negative for convex)
Mirror equation - Answers 1/f = 1/do + 1/di
Magnification sign - Answers + = upright/virtual, - = inverted/real
Index of refraction - Answers n = c/v
Refraction - Answers Bending of light between media
Snell's Law - Answers n1 sinθ1 = n2 sinθ2
Frequency vs wavelength - Answers Frequency constant, wavelength and speed change
Light bending rule - Answers Into denser → toward normal; into less dense → away
Apparent depth - Answers d' = d(n2/n1)
Critical angle - Answers Angle where refracted ray = 90°
Critical angle formula - Answers sinθc = n2/n1 (n1 > n2)
Total internal reflection - Answers Occurs when θi > θc and n1 > n2
Brewster's angle - Answers tanθB = n2/n1
Brewster condition - Answers Reflected and refracted rays are perpendicular
Color refraction - Answers Violet bends more; red bends less
Converging lens (convex) - Answers f positive
Diverging lens (concave) - Answers f negative
Lens image cases (convex) - Answers Beyond 2F → RIR; Between 2F & F → RIE; Inside F → VUE
Diverging lens image - Answers Always virtual, upright, reduced
Thin lens equation - Answers 1/f = 1/do + 1/di
Lens magnification - Answers m = -di/do
Lens sign convention - Answers do + left side, di + right side
Compound lenses - Answers Image from first lens becomes object for second
Refractive power - Answers R = 1/f (in meters)
Farsightedness - Answers Corrected with converging lens
Nearsightedness - Answers Corrected with diverging lens
Constructive interference - Answers In-phase waves → OPD = mλ
Destructive interference - Answers Out-of-phase → OPD = (m + 1/2)λ
Double slit (bright) - Answers d sinθ = mλ
Double slit (dark) - Answers d sinθ = (m + 1/2)λ
Small angle approximation - Answers θ ≈ sinθ ≈ tanθ ≈ y/L
Central maximum - Answers m = 0
Thin film interference (constructive) - Answers 2t + phase shifts = mλ
Thin film interference (destructive) - Answers 2t + phase shifts = (m + 1/2)λ
Phase shift rule - Answers Higher n → phase shift of 1/2 λ
Thickness rule - Answers Use m=1 for smallest non-zero (CI), m=0 for DI
Diffraction - Answers Bending of waves around openings
Diffraction relation - Answers Diffraction ≈ λ/W
Single slit minima - Answers W sinθ = mλ
